Shattered
by HopeNoel88
Summary: She couldn't get married. Not if she wasn't marrying the right guy. Harvey and Donna went to Harvard together. Yes, Donna is a lawyer :)
1. Chapter 1

**Shattered**

 **By: Hope**

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm one chapter away from my other story, Drink You Away, being completed. This idea randomly popped in my head and I decided to give it a go. I'll post the first chapter and see what everyone thinks. If you like it, I will continue it. Thanks so much for reading!

 **Disclaimer:** I sadly do not own any of the characters from Suits. Side Note: How exciting is it that the next season is starting in like a week!

Read on :)

 **Donna stood at the entry of the church. Her heart was pounding. She couldn't stop pacing back and forth which wasn't an easy task considering the weight of the dress she was currently wearing. Her heart was beating almost out of her chest and she couldn't stop thinking. What the hell was she doing?**

" **Donna, it's time" Abby, Donnas' cute twenty something sister informed her.**

" **Abby, I need five minutes. Okay?" Donna begged, frantically. She could hear the music playing inside the church.**

 **Abby looked worried in her gray floor length bridesmaid dress. She nodded her head and walked away, giving Donna some space.**

 **She was supposed to be happy, right? People always say their wedding is the best day of their life. Why was she feeling this way? Why did she have so much doubt? In the back of her mind, she knew why but she hated saying it out loud.**

 **She's been dating him for two years. This is the natural progression of relationships, right? This was being an adult. Her mother had been planning this day for the past six months. The guests were waiting for her. He was waiting for her.**

 **She needed to walk down that aisle. She had to. The problem was her legs wouldn't move. Her body knew something her heart and brain had been fighting for months.**

 **She couldn't get married. For one, it was raining. It wasn't even a little rain, it was pouring. You can't have your wedding with this weather.**

 _ **Stop, Donna.**_ **She told herself. She couldn't back out of this. She would disappoint everyone. Not to mention, the talk around town about her. It could potentially tarnish her reputation. She was a lawyer. Her reputation was everything. Hell, he was a lawyer. How would he handle everyone staring at him with sad eyes that his fiancée was a runaway bride?**

 **Nerves were normal. Wedding day jitters was a thing. This was a huge life decision. She had a right to be nervous.**

 **Donna swayed over to the door, where there was a small window. She could do this. This was what she wanted. Needed. Donna took a deep breath. She looked through the window and saw him standing at the altar in his gray suit she picked out. He looked handsome. He looked.. relaxed. Donna looked through the guests and saw Louis, Jessica and Mike sitting in the pews. He wasn't here. She knew he wouldn't be. She didn't even want to send the invitation to him. Her future groom suggested they should invite him despite the fact they both knew he wouldn't show up..**

 **Donna turned around, facing the doors of the church. She could see and hear the rain pouring and hitting the ground.**

 **Without thinking, Donna pulled up her dress. She aggressively threw off her nude heels, grabbing them in her hands from off the floor. She couldn't get married today. Donna noticed the limo waiting outside for when the ceremony was over. She opened the doors and ran outside, grabbing the door to the limo. She scooted her way into the backseat. Her dress was already soaked. She could just imagine how crazy she looked. Her curly hair now wet. Her makeup was probably running. The limo driver looked at her confused from the driver's seat.**

" **Drive" Donna urged, gently before she had a second to rethink what she was doing. Donna was never one for impulse decisions but this felt right.**

 **She couldn't get married today. Not if she wasn't marrying the right guy.**

 _Harvey walked in the huge classroom. He was wearing jeans and his signature: plaid shirt and a cardigan sweater. Harvey didn't just walk in. He walked like he owned the place. His confidence had went over the line to cocky. It was his last first day at Harvard. He was in his third and final year of law school. This time, next year, He will be a lawyer working in some fancy law firm. He was this close to having his dream career. Harvey took a seat, throwing his messenger bag on the ground._

 _After three years, Harvey knew everyone in the law program. Everyone here was so competitive. He guessed it was because most were in their mid twenties and still in school. Every student knew the rankings of their fellow classmates. Harvey could care less about rankings but he ensured he was in the top 10 in order to have the best job offers. To him, it didn't matter what your ranking was in college. It was how you did in the real world. Harvey knew he would kick ass in the real world._

 _Harvey looked up to see a girl with brunette laughing as she walked in. Scottie. Harvey and Scottie had been on and off the past year in a half. She was gorgeous and came from a long line of lawyers in her family who went attended Harvard. She was competitive like no one else he had met. Her current ranking was #2 which she hated with a passion._

 _The best thing about being on with Scottie was the sex. Even when they were off, the sex was still the best part. Scottie was a relationship kind of girl. Her mom had programmed her to find a guy in law school and get married. Scottie wanted a serious relationship with Harvey but Harvey wasn't ready._

 _In fact, Harvey wouldn't be ready. Ever._

 _The rest of the students took their seats as Professor Gerard walked in carrying his briefcase. Harvey was dreading this class. He knew of students who couldn't pass and had to drop out of law school because of this class. Harvey wasn't worried but he didn't get the vibe that the Professor liked him very much. He would have to tone down his cockiness a little. He needed an A in this class to stay in the Top 10._

 _Harvey was smart, incredibly smart. Law came to him easily. His first year of law school was his worst. He spent too much time making out in the library as opposed to actually studying. Last semester, he had to work his ass off to stay in the Top 10. The only reason he cared was because of Jessica Pearson. His mentor._

 _Professor Gerard sat his briefcase down. He grabbed a piece of chalk and started writing on the board, "Welcome to Ethics"_

 _Harvey scanned the students and the expression was the same. Terror._

 _The door to the classroom opened which surprised everyone who glanced their way to the redhead who was walking in._

 _Harvey immediately made eye contact with the beautiful redhead. Her hair was long and down in waves past her shoulders. Her bangs were in her face, covering her brown eyes. She was wearing jeans, tall tan boots past her knee caps and a black sweater._

 _Professor Gerard ushered her to him with her arms, he knew who she was. All the students were waiting, trying to find out what was going on while Harvey couldn't stop staring at her ass._

 _The professor talked to her for a few minutes before they both turned around to face the class of eyes watching them._

" _Everyone. Welcome, Donna Paulsen" Professor Gerard announced, with a smile, "She's a third year and has transferred from another college. We are lucky to have her"_

 _Donna gave a small wave to everyone._

 _A transfer, Harvey thought. There were rarely transfers to Harvard and specifically not during the third year of law school. He was perplexed. In fact, the entire class looked shocked._

" _Stop staring, she isn't a zoo animal" Professor Gerard told his students, sternly, "This is an Ethics class. You should already understand the basics including respect" he reprimanded._

 _Professor Gerard looked over at Donna and gently told her, "Take a seat, Ms. Paulsen"_

 _Donna smiled as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder. She walked up the stairs and decided on a seat which happened to be directly next to Harvey._

 _He was still staring at her as Professor Gerard started lecturing. She didn't even look over at Harvey as she took out her notebook and a pen, ready to take notes. They were a few rows back, far enough away from the professor._

 _Harvey looked over at her again before speaking, "Hey"_

 _Donna slowed her pen as she wrote to look over at Harvey. He was cute. Well, he was extremely handsome but in the way her mother warned her about. She was convinced he was probably a douchebag. Guys that looked like him usually were. She was new though and decided the best option was to try to be nice._

" _Hi" Donna made eye contact with him quickly and threw him a small smile._

" _I'm Harvey. Harvey Specter" He introduced, putting his hand out._

 _Donna reluctantly shook his hand, " Nice to meet you, Harvey"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Shattered**

By: Hope

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys :) Thanks to everyone that read the first chapter. Im so glad you liked it. I'm super excited about where this story is going. I have a ton of ideas for this story so the chapters are super easy to write. I'm going to try to update as frequently as I can. Chapter 3 & 4 should be up by this weekend. Maybe earlier. I also just posted the final chapter of my other story, Drink You Away. So, check that out.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Suits.**

 **Read me :)**

 **She stood at the door. Donna couldn't remember how long she had been standing there. She was waiting until she had the nerve to actually knock. The nerve hadn't come yet. She was glad he lived on the penthouse and no one saw her. She was a mess. She wasn't wearing any shoes. Her French manicured toes peaked out under the dress. She was still wearing her wedding dress which she was convinced running around in this counted as a day at the gym. She didn't understand why this thing weighed so damn much. It had probably been about an hour or so since she left the church. She didn't have her phone but she knew there was probably a search party looking for her.**

 **Her hair, which was previously in curls, was now wet from the pouring rain. She assumed she looked like a wet rat. She hadn't looked in the mirror but she knew her makeup was messed up.**

 **She was officially a runaway bride. She didn't realize this was actually a thing. Did a lot of brides do this? Was this a frequent occurrence? The only other runaway bride she knew was Julia Roberts in that movie. Julia Roberts knew how to runaway. She always looked good doing it. She definitely didn't look like a wet rat.**

 **Donna wished she would have talked this out with one of her sisters or Rachel or Louis. She should have thought about all the repercussions this one impulse decision would have on her life and everyone else's.**

 **Truthfully, she should have talked this out with her would be groom and now Donna hater, Marshall. She should have told him about her concerns. Everything happened so fast.**

 **When she sat in the limo, the driver asked her where she wanted to go. She wasn't sure. She couldn't go home. Her home was his home too. When Mario, the driver, asked for an address, this was the first thing that came out of her mouth.**

 **Donna needed a drink. Or two. Or seven.**

 **He probably wasn't even home. But how would she know? She hadn't had the balls to knock. Donna decided to suck it up and finally make her move. Part of her hoped he wasn't home. She knew this was going to be awkward.**

 **As Donna went to knock on the door, it flew open which shocked them both. Harvey was on his cellphone, looking frantic. He was in the middle of putting on his jacket when he saw her.**

" **Jessica" Harvey said, his mouth still open in shock, " I'll call you back"**

 **Harvey and Donna stood still, staring at each other.**

 _It was Friday night and instead of going out, like Harvey wanted, he decided he would go to the library. Their first Ethics test was Monday and he needed to study. He needed an A. It had been about three weeks since Donna Paulsen came into his life. Well, into his school. She sat next to him in Ethics every week and they had begun to form a friendship which Scottie had hated. He still didn't know much about Donna. She was a bit mysterious which made him want to know her more._

 _Harvey walked into to the Harvard Law School Library. There weren't many students here. Most looked shocked to see Harvey Specter in here at 8pm on a Friday night. Harvey walked in the back to find a table. As he walked through the shelves of books, he noticed a familiar red head in the corner of the aisles. She was sitting on the carpeted floor with her notebooks and textbooks lying around her. She was far enough back that no one would notice her if they weren't paying attention. Harvey made his way back to where she was sitting._

 _"The library on a Friday night?" Harvey asked, scaring her as she looked up, "Nerd"_

 _Donna rolled her eyes, " I didn't even think you knew how to get here. These are books" she pointed, " If you didn't know"_

 _Harvey removed his bag and sat it on the ground next to hers. He took a seat on the floor with her._

 _"Very funny" Harvey fake chucked, "Studying for Gerard's test?"_

 _Donna nodded, " What are you doing here?"_

 _Harvey noticed this was the first time Donnas' red locks were up in a ponytail. She always left it down in class. She was wearing a white tank top. Her navy sweater was discarded next to her._

 _"Would you believe me if I said the same thing?" Harvey asked, taking out his notes and textbooks as well_

 _Donna shrugged and said, " I'm just the new girl. What do I know about anyone here?"_

 _"Are you.. liking it here?" Harvey asked her. They hadn't really had many serious conversations. It was mostly law talk and making fun of Gerard's Huxtable sweaters._

 _"It's.. different" Donna said, taking a few minutes to find the right words, " You aren't going to the party everyone was talking about?"_

 _Harvey nodded his head no, " I really have to ace this test"_

 _Donna smiled, she knew how he felt. She needed to ace this test too. It was her first test at Harvard. She needed to start off in the right way._

 _Harvey looked to where Donna had colored note cards sprawled out on the carpet, "What's that?"_

 _"My note cards to study. I know its lame but it's my system" Donna explained._

 _"Do you mind if I sit here and study with you?" Harvey asked, he thought maybe her note cards could help him. He was awful at studying. He had the habit of getting distracted. He also didn't mind the opportunity to spend time with Donna. There was something about her he liked._

 _After about an hour of quizzing each other using Donnas' system of note cards, they both decided to take a break before their brain exploded Harvey had gotten some snacks out of the vending machine as they sat on the floor._

 _Donna opened the bag of Doritos and offered some to Harvey. He stuck his hand in the bag, taking out a few chips._

 _"So, are you making any friends?" Harvey asked Donna, as he shared his M &M's._

 _Donna shrugged, "Not really. Most people just talk to me to figure out why and how I transferred here but.. I'm not really here to make friends. Ya know?"_

 _Harvey nodded, understanding what she meant," I saw you with Louis Litt the other day. Are you guys close?"_

 _Donna smirked, he paid attention to her, " He's in most of my classes so we talk. He's really nice. He hates you though"_

 _Harvey laughed, " The feeling is mutual. We are just super competitive"_

 _"Everyone here is" Donna observed, " I like being here. The education and what it can do for my future is amazing but the people.. I can do without them"_

 _"They aren't that bad" Harvey tried to justify, but she was right, "They're a little entitled"_

 _"A little?" Donna asked, wide eyed, as she took a sip of her Coke, " There's a guy in my class whose family named and donated the library"_

 _"It's Harvard" Harvey said, throwing the empty bag of candy in the trash_

 _"You aren't like that" Donna observed, stretching out her leg, " You don't act like them"_

 _"You don't really know me" Harvey shot back_

 _"That's true. I don't" Donna agreed, pushing her lips together, " But I'm pretty observant. I notice things"_

 _" I'm not like the other students" Harvey confessed, he wasn't sure why he was saying this. He didn't tell this to anyone, " I think everything has to be earned no matter who you are or what your last name is"_

 _Harvey closed his book, "Let's go to the party"_

 _Donna shook her head, " I don't-"_

 _"We go to the party. We have a few drinks. You mingle and see that some of us aren't as bad as you think. You avoid the douchebags that give Harvard a bad name. I'll point them out" Harvey tells her, standing up from the seat on the floor. He offers her hand, " We come back to the library on Sunday"_

 _Donna looked reluctant to agree. She wasn't sure what she had to say to anyone at the party._

 _"I won't leave your side" Harvey promised, seeing the fear in her eyes, "and I won't let anyone be mean to you" he joked._

 _Donna reached out and connected her hand with Harvey's._

 _"I'll give it a shot" Donna agreed, "If it sucks, I'll just drink more"_

 _"That's a fucking fantastic plan, Donna Paulsen" Harvey laughed, as he carried her bag after stuffing her textbooks and notebooks in it._

 ** _Reviews/ Feedback Appreciated. What do you think?_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Shattered**

Chapter 3

 **By: Hope**

 **Author's Note: Happy Friday! I'm really enjoying writing this and I'm trying to update chapters more frequently. Occasionally, I slack. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing this story! One week until Season 6!**

 **Disclaimer: Like usual, I don't own any characters in Suits.**

 **Donna and Harvey were sitting on Harvey's couch. It had been about twenty minutes since Harvey found her standing outside his apartment door with her wedding dress on. He was shocked to see her. He was more than shocked to see her but he couldn't think of a better word to describe it. They hadn't said a word to each other. It was complete silence. The strange thing was it wasn't awkward. There was something comfortable about it. It was how their relationship was. They were comfortable with each other from their first meeting. Despite everything that had happened, that feeling of comfort near each other was still there. After hanging up with Jessica, he motioned for Donna to come in. He wasn't sure what else to do. He had never seen her like this before. She looked so shattered.**

 **Shattered but beautiful. Donna Paulsen was always beautiful. She was beautiful when she was calling him an " ass". She was beautiful when she was furrowed her brows in confusion when she didn't understand something in class. She was beautiful when she was kicking his ass in court. She was beautiful when she woke up in the morning, her ginger hair sprawled across his pillowcase. He missed that.**

 **And, she was beautiful now in her white dress. He wanted to laugh when he noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes but decided that wasn't the best idea. Her hair was soaked from the weather outside and her makeup was smeared. She was a mess but beautiful.**

 **Harvey had a million questions he wanted to ask. Why was she here?**

 **He thought it was the best course of action to wait for her to speak first. Harvey wasn't a patient kind of guy but for Donna, he would have to be. He wasn't mad she was here. He was just.. well, worried.**

" **Do you remember before graduation we took a trip to New York?" Donna finally spoke, her voice raspy from crying and being barefoot in the cold.**

 **Without saying a word, Harvey nodded his head.**

" **You surprised me by getting us Yankees tickets since I had never gone to a game" Donna smiled, as tears dropped from her eyes, " but you accidently bought tickets for a different day. You spent twenty minutes trying to convince them to switch out your tickets but they refused. In true lawyer fashion, you scalped the scalper and got us in the stadium. I didn't bring any Yankees gear so you gave me your hat. You know my favorite part?" Donna looked at Harvey who was sitting on the other end of the couch, " During the game, they put us on the kiss cam. I was embarrassed that thousands of people were staring at me so you kissed my forehead instead"**

" **You made out with me after that" Harvey remembered, with a smile.**

" **It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me" Donna confessed, tears were coming down her face faster**

" **Donna" Harvey said, "I don't want to force or push you but.. what happened?"**

 **Donna could barely breathe she was crying so hard. She abruptly stood up.**

" **Marshall is a great guy." Donna cried, " I know that. I could marry him. We could buy a house with a picket fence. Okay, maybe not in New York. We could have kids. I would be happy"**

 **Harvey rubbed his forehead before asking, "Why didn't you marry him then?"**

" **I was settling" Donna finally admitted to herself, " He could make any girl happy. I was happy. Sort of.. Life with him would be the easier option. But the thing is.. I never had any moments with him that could even compare to that day ten years ago when we went to the Yankees game. How could I marry him if I knew it was wrong?"**

 **Before Harvey could respond, Donna started speaking again, "What did I do, Harvey? I left him at the altar. What kind of person does that? He's a good person. He didn't deserve that.. humiliation. Where am I even going to go? Everything I had was with him. We worked together. I have to find a new job! Where am I going to work, Harvey? No one is going to want me. Where am I going to live?" Donna was crying harder now, " Why am I still wearing this fucking dress? I need it off me"**

 **Donna started to aggressively try to pull it over her head but it was too tight around her waist. She started trying to locate the zipper on the back but she was struggling.**

 **Harvey got up from his seat and walked to where she was standing. He gently used his hands to stop her hands from being frantic.**

" **It's going to be okay, Donna" Harvey told her, as he put his arms around her doing whatever he could to console her. He had never seen her like this before. Harvey had known Donna for almost ten years. He could count on his one hand how many times he had saw her cry. She was the strongest woman he knew.**

" **I'll get some scissors" Harvey gave a small smile, her dress was on tight.**

 **Donna felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack but Harvey soothed her. Nothing sounded better than him saying everything was going to be okay. Harvey walked back from his kitchen with a pair of scissors in his hand.**

" **Do it" Donna requested, he looked unsure. He didn't want to ruin the dress.**

 **Slowly, Harvey used the scissors to cut down the middle of the dress where the corset was. The first thing Harvey noticed was her bare back. He tried to re-focus.**

" **You can stay here tonight" Harvey told her. He held on to her hand as he walked her into the bathroom. He turned the shower on.**

" **Shower" Harvey said, " I'll get you some clothes to wear"**

 **Slowly, Donna undressed and stepped into the hot water.**

" _I'm starting to regret this already" Donna told Harvey, as he escorted her into the house. There were a ton of people, some who were already drunk._

 _"Don't be such a Donna Downer" Harvey joked, he turned around to look at her face of misery, "Okay. I'll make you a deal. You put in an hour of effort. If your face still looks like that, we'll go back to my place and eat pizza"_

 _"Deal" Donna agreed, she was a sucker for pizza._

 _"I'll go get us drinks" Harvey told her, before walking into the kitchen. He knew this house like the back of his hand. He had been here over a hundred times for parties._

 _"You're Donna Paulsen" an extremely tall, attractive guy said to her as he held a red solo cup in his hand._

 _Donna tried to not roll her eyes. She was going to try like Harvey said. She could put effort in. Shit, she went to Harvard. She got A's for her effort. It also helped he was cute._

 _"I am" Donna held her hand out for an introduction, "Lemme guess. You heard all the rumors around campus about the new girl"_

 _The man shook Donnas' hand. His hand was almost two sizes bigger than hers._

 _"I did hear about the new girl rumor" He spoke, after taking a sip out of his cup, " but mostly I recognized you because I heard you were hot which now I can say that rumor is true"_

 _Donna smirked, "You're drunk"_

 _"You don't know me well enough to know if I were drunk" the attractive man wittily spoke back, " and for the record, I'm not drunk. This is my first beer. I just like to appreciate beauty whenever I can"_

 _" I can't appreciate your corny ass pickup line" Donna laughed, she had to admit this guy was cute._

 _"You're feisty, Donna Paulsen. I can appreciate that too. I'm Marshall Grant" Marshall introduced himself, " I'm a second year law student which is why we haven't had the privilege of running into each other"_

 _Before Donna could speak, one of Marshall's friends summoned him to play a game of beer pong._

 _"Hopefully, I'll see you later" Marshall grinned, "but if I don't, you should come watch me play water polo. I'm on the team"_

 _"I didn't know we had horses here" Donna looked shocked but excited. This was Harvard they had everything here_

 _Marshall chuckled, " Uh, no. I play in the pool hence water polo"_

 _Donna looked embarrassed, " I'm sorry. I'm terrible with sports except baseball"_

 _Marshall's friend yelled his name again but more aggressively this time._

 _" I gotta go. I carry the team" Marshall told Donna, talking about his beer pong skills, " Have fun"_

 _Donna smiled as she watched Marshall Grant walk away. He was an incredibly attractive man. Her oogling was interrupted by Harvey handing her a red solo up._

 _"I see you made a friend" Harvey observed, he wasn't jealous. He didn't get jealous._

 _"So, tell me, where is he on the douchebag scale?" Donna asked, extremely curious. From their brief meeting, he seemed like a nice guy but everyone was good at lying these days_

 _"Actually, Marshall is a decent guy" Harvey admitted, he felt a tingle in his stomach. He wasn't sure what it was. He watched a few minutes of Donna and Marshall's interaction. Harvey could tell Marshall liked her but how could he not? Donna was a catch. Maybe he was a little jealous. He knew he shouldn't be. They were friends. Harvey didn't want a girlfriend anyways. He was focused on school, " He is a little on the entitled side but it isn't his fault. His grandfather is on the Supreme Court and his dad owns his own law firm in Boston."_

 _"Wow" Donna spoke, she often felt like she didn't belong here. She couldn't fit in._

 _"Harvey" Dana Scott said, as she sauntered to where Donna and Harvey were standing in the middle of the living room._

 _"Hey Scottie" Harvey greeted back, "Scottie, this is Donna Paulsen"_

 _"Nice to meet you, Scottie" Donna gave a bright full of effort smile._

 _"Only my friends call me Scottie" Scottie said, with an attitude, "So, what, are you two screwing?"_

 _Harvey took a breath, he forgot how much of a bitch she could be._

 _He went to speak but Donna went first, " First off, it's not any of your business if we were. Second, you aren't his girlfriend so he's free reign. We're gonna go get another drink. Hell, maybe we will have sex in one of these rooms" Donna winked at Scottie as she put her arm through Harvey's and walked to where the keg was._

 _Harvey had a huge grin on his face, " You are feisty. It's hot"_

 _"I guess I'm really not making any friends here" Donna joked," You didn't tell me she was kind of a douche"_

 _"She isn't usually that bad" Harvey shrugged, " and if you were serious about having sex in one of these rooms, I'm available and willing"_

 _Donna slapped Harvey's arm before downing the liquid in her cup, "Just get me another drink, Specter"_

 _Donna rubbed her eyes from exhaustion as she sat in the corner, her favorite spot at Harvard Law School Library. It was T-minus 10 hours until the first Ethics exam. Her notebooks and infamous note cards were sprawled out. Other than the librarian, she was the only one here on a Sunday night. Donna heard footsteps when she looked up she saw Harvey Specter._

 _Harvey sat on the ground and handed her one of the coffees in held in his hand," So, are we pulling an all nighter?"_

 _He started taking off his jacket and messenger bag, throwing it where Donna placed her things._

 _Donna tried to not smile. Why was she so happy to see Harvey here? She nodded her head yes to his question._

 _Harvey grabbed the notecards off the floor, "We should get started then" as he started to quiz her._


	4. Chapter 4

**Shattered**

 **Chapter 4**

By: Hope

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. For some reason, I was struggling with this chapter. Although the good news is, I have the next few chapters already written so I will be posting another chapter before the weekend ends. Thanks to everyone for reading my story and reviewing!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters in Suits.

 **Harvey stood in the kitchen as he waited for the coffee to stop brewing. What Harvey really needed right now was scotch but he thought alcohol was probably a bad decision right now. Harvey grabbed the coffee pot and filled his mug to the brim. He leaned against the marbled sink. Donna was in the shower. His shower. He couldn't remember the last time she was at his apartment.**

 **When Harvey grabbed the mail that day, he wasn't prepared for the heartbreak he would feel. He wasn't expecting to see the wedding invitation. Of course, he knew she was getting married. He heard Jessica and Louis talking about it but they avoided the subject in front of him. He never expected to receive an invitation. Harvey assumed Donna was just being nice and sent the invitation as a courtesy of their ten year relationship. They weren't together. They weren't even friends anymore. They weren't anything. They hadn't spoken to each other in almost two years. He knew she was working at Marshalls' father's firm in Boston.**

 **Harvey wasn't expecting to miss her this much. He didn't think he would think about her every day like this. Maybe at first but he thought time would heal and he would slowly start to forget about her. He was dumb to think that. He could never forget about Donna Paulsen. Every night, he would lie in bed thinking about her and picturing her in his apartment. She practically lived here. There were too many memories to avoid. It was Harvey's own personal hell. He wasn't angry she had moved on. Donna deserved happiness. Harvey always thought her happiness would be with him. He couldn't be sad or heartbroken or devastated. He didn't have the right to be. He could have had her. This could have been their wedding invitation. He fucked everything up. That was one thing he knew for sure. He knew he would fuck it up eventually just not this way.**

 **No one knew this but Harvey put on his best suit. He tied his tie. He was ready to attend the wedding with Louis, Rachel, Jessica and Mike. He wasn't sure if going was the best decision. Despite how everything ended, Donna was his best friend for over ten years. She knew him like no one else did and vice versa. He would go to the wedding to show his support to rise above it. She was his family.**

 **The thing was he couldn't actually bring himself to actually walk into the church. It just hurt too much. He was losing her. Harvey had only felt this pain one other time in his life: his father's death. Harvey did not allow himself to feel things to prevent this hurt. Only a few people broke down his walls. As soon as he got home, he removed his suit. By then, his phone had rung. It was Jessica.**

 _Donna couldn't believe it but three months had already passed by since she first arrived at Harvard. The leaves had already fallen and there was a chill in the air at night in Boston. Donna had slowly started to fall in love with this city. On the weekends, she spent her free time exploring the town and city she would be calling home for another six months. She loved Boston but she still wasn't sure about Harvard. She loved the education she was receiving. Donna loved being challenged and her professors here did that. She felt like Harvard would make her a better lawyer. On the other hand, she was still getting used to the students. Other than Louis and Harvey, Donna hadn't made many friends but she also wasn't trying very hard. Donna was busy getting A's on her papers, tests, and avoiding Dana Scott's side glances of anger. Speaking of Harvey Specter, they had practically become best friends. He was different than what she expected. At first impression, she thought he was just another insanely attractive, preppy, rich, and overly cocky soon to be lawyer. Yes, Harvey was insanely attractive. She wasn't sure if it were the two moles above his eyebrow, his hair or his voice that she liked the most. He was the kind of guy who walked by and every girl turned their head. And yeah, he was overly cocky but she had to admit, she liked that quality in him. He was a better person than she expected. This is probably why people say don't judge a book by their cover. Donna did notice Harvey didn't show his true colors to everyone._

 _In a few days, it would be Thanksgiving. Most students had already left to go home. It was like a ghost town at Harvard which Donna liked. She didn't have to wait in long lines at her favorite coffee shop._

 _Donnas' roommate, Felicity, had already left yesterday to head home to some small town in Iowa. Donna couldn't remember the name. Donna could count on her fingers how many times she had been at the apartment at the same time as Felicity. This is what happened when you were an aspiring lawyer. Felicity was a cute, shorter girl with extremely curly hair. She was a year behind Donna in law school. Donna didn't know a ton about the girl she lived in close quarters but she knew she had a huge crush on Harvey Specter. Harvey had been over multiple times. He often slept on the couch to avoid his annoying roommate. Donna was waiting for the day she came home and caught Felicity and Harvey hooking up. She was surprised to find that after multiple advances by Felicity, it wasn't going to happen._

 _Donna was lounging in a pair of jeans and her favorite Harvard hoodie when she heard a knock on the door. She was busy flipping through a magazine._

 _Donna got up and answered the door. Without invitation, Harvey aggressively walked in the apartment directly to Donnas' room. Harvey was pretty familiar with her place he had been there so frequently._

 _"Harvey, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on your way home?" Donna asked. Donna was staying on campus for Thanksgiving. She couldn't afford to fly home both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her parents offered to fly her home but she declined. She missed her family but enjoyed her space._

 _Harvey didn't answer her. Instead, he opened her closet and grabbed a luggage bag. Harvey opened her dresser drawers as he threw in jeans, sweaters and anything else warm he could find._

 _"Do you have gloves and a hat?" Harvey asked, he was dressed in a hooded sweatshirt, vest, jeans and boots._

 _"In the top drawer" Donna answered, not paying attention to what Harvey was doing at first "Wait, what the hell are you doing?"_

 _"You're not staying here alone on Thanksgiving" Harvey told her, as he continued to grab her things that he thought she needed._

 _"I'm okay with it" Donna said with a shrug, sitting down her magazine " I can get a head start on the chapters"_

 _"I'm not okay with it" Harvey told her adamantly, "You're coming with me"_

 _Donna shook her head, "its fine, Harvey. I'm not intruding on your family"_

 _"My dad and brother wouldn't mind" Harvey replied, "You're my friend, Donna which means your family. I'm not taking no for an answer"_

 _Donnas' eyes connected with Harvey's. She could tell he was serious._

 _"You're going to make an amazing lawyer" Donna commented, " Ok, fine, I'll go but why do I need hand warmers and boots?"_

 _"Specter Thanksgiving tradition" Harvey informed her, "We go camping"_

 _After spending three hours in a car, Donna finally had the chance to meet Harvey's father at the campground. As soon as Donna met Gordon Specter, she knew she would like him immediately. There was warmth about him which Donna loved. It was a quality she wished her own father had. Donna hadn't heard much about Harvey's family situation. It wasn't a common topic between them but the more Donna thought about it, Harvey didn't know anything about her family either._

 _The feeling was mutual between Gordon and Donna. Donna had already charmed the pants off of Gordon with her sass and sarcasm. Gordon loved anyone who didn't take Harvey's shit._

 _Donna, Harvey, Gordon and Harvey's brother Marcus were sitting around the fire roasting marshmallows. It was around 11pm._

 _"I haven't been camping in years" Donna confessed, as she blew on her marshmallow which was on fire. Harvey tried to not laugh at how cute she was. Donna was definitely not a camping kind of girl. The Specters would work on changing that the next two days._

 _"No kidding" Harvey joked, " You weren't much help putting the tent up"_

 _Donna slapped Harvey's arm, " I was supervising. I'm one of three girls. We weren't much into camping"_

 _"So, Donna, are you single?" Harvey's younger cute brother, Marcus, asked abruptly._

 _Harvey sent Marcus a WTF look. Marcus just shrugged. Marcus was never one who had a filter._

 _Donna laughed," I am but I think I may be a little old for you"_

 _"You have any sisters my age?" Marcus followed up with another question._

 _"Fuck, Marcus. Could you dial down the desperation?" Harvey asked, his eyebrow raising. He should have been prepared Donna for his brother._

 _"I see not everyone got the Specter charm like Harvey" Donna joked, it had only been a few hours with the Specters but she was really enjoying her time. She felt like part of the family._

 _Gordon poured a brown liquid into a mug and handed it to Donna._

 _"Mr. Specter, thank you for letting my crash your Thanksgiving tradition" Donna smiled, as she took a sip, " This is really good. What's in it?"_

 _"Alcohol" Gordon replied, " and call me Gordon. It's nice to have a girl here. It can be a bit of a sausage party in this family"_

 _Gordon and Marcus had gone to bed as Donna and Harvey laid in sleeping bags in the tent as they looked up at the stars in the sky._

 _"I like your dad" Donna spoke, pulling her hat further down to protect her ears from the cold," and your creepy brother"_

 _Harvey laughed, " Sorry about him. He doesn't know how to socialize like a normal person"_

 _Donna smiled. Her body and Harvey were touching which is the closest they had ever been. Donna didn't mind the proximity. She actually was enjoying it. Maybe it was the drink Gordon had given her affecting her._

 _"Harvey, where is your mom?" Donna asked, out of curiosity, " I understand if you don't answer-"_

 _Harvey cut Donna off, " It's okay. My mom and dad divorced when I was in high school. I don't really have a relationship with her. She.. she cheated on my dad with one of my dad's band mates. He didn't know. I.. I told him"_

 _"Oh, Harvey. I'm sorry" Donna apologized, her hand touching his through their gloves._

 _"I had to, right?" Harvey explained, he had never talked to anyone about this before especially not a woman. He felt comfortable with Donna which was something he wasn't used to feeling. Harvey hadn't even told Scottie he had a brother and they dated for almost two years._

 _"Your mom sounds like a bitch" Donna joked, trying to break the seriousness of the conversation._

 _Harvey laughed, " Yeah, that's the perfect word to describe her. Tell me about your family"_

 _" Well, the Paulsen's aren't nearly as fun as the Specters" Donna said, with a smirk, " Let's see. I have two sisters. Abby is 18. She's the baby. She would love you. She's a sucker for pretty guys like you. In fact, remind me to never introduce you two"_

 _"Did you just call me pretty?" Harvey asked, with a grin_

 _" There's Becca, she's 22. My father's favorite. I'm the oldest and the best. What else.. my parents have been married for almost 25 years" Donna ignored his question._

 _Harvey could tell Donna was leaving a few things out about her family but he wasn't going to push anything. She would tell him when she was ready to share everything._

 _"25, huh?" Harvey realized, with a smile that Donna was 25 like he was._

 _Donna nodded, " Nothing like getting married because my dad got my mom pregnant"_

 _"Well, they're still together" Harvey commented, " That's something"_

 _"Yeah" Donna mumbled, " it's something"_

 _Harvey noticed that Donna was shivering. He grabbed an extra blanket and gently laid it on top of her. Donna smiled at the gesture. Donna could tell Harvey was a softie at heart._

 _"So, what's the verdict?" Donna asked, closing her eyes as she spoke, " Will I be allowed back next year?"_

 _"I think my dad would rather have you here than me or my brother" Harvey joked, as they both fell asleep._

 _It was around 6 am when Donna woke up. She slowly sat up and put her hand up, blocking the sun that was in her eyes through the tent. Donna looked over and noticed Harvey was already up. Considering she slept on the ground, Donna had the best sleep that she could remember. She thought it might have something to do with the company. It had been a long time since Donna slept next to a guy. Donna unzipped the tent and walked to where Harvey and Gordon were talking with their backs turned to her._

 _"So, you going to lock her down, Harvey?" Gordon asked his son, pouring coffee into a mug from a thermos_

 _"Lock her down? That sounds like kidnapping" Harvey rolled his eyes, " and it's not like that. We're friends"_

 _"That's what people always say right before they fall in love" Gordon replied, " I like her. She's a keeper. She keeps you on your toes. You need that"_

 _"We're just friends, dad" Harvey urged., taking a sip of his caffeinated beverage._

 _"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Gordon asked his son, "We'll see. If you don't make a move, I will. Girls love saxophone players"_

 _Donna tried to stifle her laugh so they didn't realize she heard their entire conversation._

 _"Morning" Donna said, as cheerfully as she could, " Coffee" she demanded_

 _"Someone's not a morning person" Gordon laughed, handing her a cup of coffee._

 _" Her grumpiness grows on you" Harvey told his dad, sending a smirk to Donna._

 _Donna wasn't sure what it was but this was the happiest she had felt in awhile._

 **Reviews Appreciated :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Shattered**

 **Chapter 4**

By: Hope

 **Author's Note** : Thanks to everyone for reading the last chapter. This chapter is all flashbacks in college. I know you guys are looking forward to seeing what's happening in the present day but I have to set up the past to get there I hope you enjoy this chapter! I should have another chapter uploaded by tomorrow night I'm hoping.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters of Suits.

 _Donna sighed as she grabbed her bag and started walking out of the classroom. She was having a shitty day._

 _"Donna" She heard Harvey yell, as he walked towards her. They had been hanging out together a lot recently. In fact, Donna was sad to admit but Harvey and Louis Litt were her only friends._

 _"What do you want, Harvey?" Donna asked with attitude and her hand on her hip._

 _Harvey raised his eyebrow, " What crawled up your ass?"_

 _"I'm just having a shitty day" Donna responded._

 _"What's wrong?" Harvey questioned, concerned._

 _"I have to do this presentation in Procedure and Practice. We were assigned partners. Guess who mine is?" Donna asked. Before she gave him a chance to guess she spoke, "Dana fucking Scott. I have the worst luck. I have to meet her in an hour "_

 _Harvey did his best to stifle his laugh but he couldn't help it._

 _Donna rolled his eyes," You're an ass. What do you want?"_

 _"What are you doing tonight?" Harvey asked the redhead._

 _Donna shrugged, " I'm doing what every 25 year old still in college on a Friday night does. I'm going to continue knitting a sweater I've been working on and watching Law and Order"_

 _Harvey laughed, " Sounds exciting. No wonder you're single"_

 _Donna faked being offended and slapped his arm, "I'm single because I want to be, Specter."_

 _"You're coming with me tonight" Harvey told her, he wasn't giving her a choice, " You can't sit home on a Friday night. You're not 60 "_

 _"I don't know, Harvey" Donna said, hesitantly, " I just bought this ice cream I've been thinking about all day"_

 _"Are you serious?" Harvey asked, he was offended she was choosing ice cream, " I'll buy your drinks"_

 _"You must be desperate, Harvey. Did someone else turn you down?"_

 _"Actually" Harvey said, " You were my first option"_

 _"Aw" Donna grinned, "That's nice. Fine. I was already in when you said drinks. I'm going to need alcohol after spending three hours with are we going?"_

 _"Providence" Harvey told her, " Be ready by 7 pm"_

 _Scottie and Donna sat silently in Donnas' apartment. Donna couldn't believe her bad luck. Unfortunately, they were partnered in class to do a presentation together. A week before Thanksgiving. The two woman had yet to speak since their confrontation at the party months ago. Donna was always taught by her mom if you didn't have anything nice to say, say nothing. Donna did her best to avoid Scottie but she couldn't seem to avoid Scottie's sideglances and dirty looks which Harvey was amused by._

 _Donna truly was confused as to why Scottie hated her so much. Donna had never done anything to piss her off. This is why it was so difficult being friends with girls. Donna preferred Harvey's perverted comments over the jealous and backhanded put downs by girls any day. Donna wanted to not give a shit that Scottie didn't like her but, she did give a shit._

 _Donna stopped typing on her lap top and looked over at Scottie, who was highlighting through a text book, "What's your problem?"_

 _Donna wanted to address the issue but maybe this wasn't the best way. She couldn't help it. Donna never had much of a filter._

 _Scottie looked confused at the abruptness._

 _"You don't like me" Donna said, obviously, " I've always been nice to you but you go out of your way to be a bitch to me. What did I do to deserve it?"_

 _Scottie looked down. She knew she had been rude to Donna since she arrived at Harvard. It wasn't Donnas' fault. There were things Scottie liked about Donna like her feistyness._

 _Scottie sighed, "Harvey"_

 _Now it was Donnas' turn to be confused._

 _"Because we are friends?" Donna responded with the only reason she could think of._

 _"He likes you" Scottie told Donna, which she hated saying out loud._

 _"Well, yeah, we're friends" Donna shook her head, still unsure of where this was going._

 _"I heard you had Thanksgiving with him. You met his family. I never.. met them" Scottie stated, with no tone, " He likes you. You're not dumb, Donna. I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you"_

 _"No-" Donna tried to argue_

 _"It's true" Scottie cut her off, " He's into you. I would know, I dated him. He likes you but he isn't going to admit to it. Knowing him, he's currently avoiding his feelings it's what he does. It sounds like you're avoiding it too. I like you, Donna. I don't mean to be a bitch to you. I guess.. I'm just sad" she admitted, " Harvey is a really great guy. Most people don't have the chance to see it. He doesn't show it to everyone. He's different with you than he was with me. He's comfortable with you. I had this idea that after law school, Harvey and I could work. We could have a future together. You just make me realize how that's never going to happen"_

 _Harvey and Donna walked into the bar in Rhode Island. It was a hole in the wall kind of bar but a nice hole in the wall._

 _The first thing she thought of when she saw Harvey waiting outside of her apartment to pick her up was how good he looked. She had found herself thinking that a lot lately. She wasn't sure why. She was assuming it was because it had been over a year since she had a boyfriend or had been with a guy in any way. When she originally met Harvey, she was attracted to him. Obviously. What girl wasn't attracted to Harvey Specter? She had met plenty of guys like Harvey before. The super attractive guys who knew how hot they were. The dicks who could have any girl they wanted. Donna had let herself like one too many of those guys in high school and college. She didn't think there was much to Harvey besides his good looks but she was completely wrong._

 _Harvey was wearing jeans, tan boots, a plaid shirt and a blue sweater over top. Donna had to stop herself from staring at him like he was a piece of meat. She was already feeling weird around him. So, sure, add alcohol into the mix. That'll be a great idea. Right?_

 _She also couldn't stop thinking about what Scottie said earlier. Scottie was wrong, right? Harvey didn't like her. They were friends._

 _Did it mean something that Harvey brought her camping with his family?_

 _The entire drive to Providence she kept replaying every moment she had with Harvey since the first day she met him. Maybe she was avoiding her feelings for Harvey. She did like him but.. it was Harvey. They weren't going to date or anything serious. She had thought about kissing him before. Donna hated when things got complicated. She needed a drink._

 _"So, the lady likes scotch?" Harvey asked, walking back from the bar to where their table was. Donna was sitting waiting. Harvey handed her the glass._

 _Donna smiled in thanks, " I do. I blame my dad"_

 _"I haven't met many woman who like scotch" Harvey responded, taking his seat across dfrom Donna._

 _Harvey felt like they were on a date. They weren't but.. they had never went out together before. The thing that shocked Harvey the most was he wouldn't mind if it were a date. He had been thinking about Donna a lot lately particularly since Thanksgiving two weeks ago. Was his dad right? He kept thinking about how good it felt to lay next to Donna in the tent. He thought about how beautiful she looked while she slept. Donna fit perfectly in with his brother and dad. They had only known each other for a few months but it felt like they knew each other longer. They just connected on a different level._

 _"So, why didn't it work with you and Scottie?" Donna asked, pushing her hair behind her ear. She was curious. For some reason when Donna thought about Harvey and Scottie together, it made her want to vomit._

 _Harvey took a drink before answering, " Scottie and I.. are too similar in the worst ways. We are both too competitive and we put our careers first. I'm far from being an expert on relationships. In fact, I'm absolute shit at them. I've never had the best examples to show me how things are supposed to be. Hell, my dad was madly in love with my mom and look what she did- she broke his heart. Scottie is a great girl but it just didn't work"_

 _Donna smiled, " You're a catch. Specter"_

 _Harvey shook his head, " I'm not a catch. I'm fucked up"_

 _Donna sent Harvey a smile, "I think we're a little fucked up, Harvey. You just have to find the person that embraces it"_

 _Harvey wanted to kiss Donna. Badly. But he thought it was best to let her make the move if she ever did. He wasn't even sure if she thought about it like he did. Harvey was always confident, some may say he was cocky, but when he was around Donna, he felt unsure._

 _The band started to play as Donna focused her attention to the stage before grinning, "Is that your dad?"_

 _Harvey smiled, " It is"_

 _Harvey pulled up at Donna's apartment after the thirty minute drive home. It was late. Harvey put the car in park._

 _"Harvey" Donna said, while unbuckling her seatbelt, " Harvey, why haven't you asked me how I transferred here?"_

 _Harvey looked into Donnas' eyes, "I figured you would tell me when you were ready"_

 _Donna nodded, looking out the passenger window. She wasn't sure why but her heart was beating fast. Maybe it was the alcohol. Or maybe it was Harvey. He affected her. She put her hand through her hair. She kept thinking about kissing him. Was it a bad idea? She wasn't sure but she decided not to overanalyze everything. She would be impulsive tonight and go with her gut._

 _In a quick motion, Donna planted and pushed her lips onto Harvey's shocking him. It didn't take him long to catch on and kiss her back. He had been thinking about this all day. Actually, he had been thinking about kissing Donna since the first day she walked into his class at Harvard._

 _Harvey's hands cupped her face as they kissed feverishly. Slowly, Donna pulled away. She was breathing heavy._

 _"That wasn't bad" Donna grinned, " I had fun tonight, Specter. I'll see you Monday"_

 _Donna quickly kissed his lips before jumping out of the car and walking into her apartment complex._

 _It was Sunday morning when Donna heard someone aggressively knocking at the door. Donna looked up to see it was 9 am. She groaned. If it was her roommate, Felicity, knocking because she forgot her key again, she was going to be pissed. Donna stood up from her bed, wearing her Yankees t-shirt and walked to the door. Without looking to see who it was, she opened the door._

 _Harvey Specter._

 _He was standing at her door, holding coffees and a smile on his face._

 _"What are you doing here?" Donna asked, she wasn't a morning person._

 _"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine in the morning" Harvey joked, " Nice pajamas"_

 _Harvey tried to not stare at her long, porcelain legs but he was struggling. He walked in the door without an invite from Donna._

 _"I brought coffee" Harvey held out a cup of coffee to Donna, " and donuts"_

 _Donna grinned and grabbed the bag from his hand. She stuffed the donut in her mouth before repeating, " What are you doing here?"_

 _"I know you said you would see me Monday" Harvey admitted, " but, I couldn't wait that long"_

 **Reviews Appreciated :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Shattered**

By: Hope

 **Chapter 6**

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've gotten busier than I expected. I also had to figure out the layout of this story. I wanted to make sure I had the right order since there's lot of flashbacks. I want make sure you understand how Harvey and Donna got to where they were. Thanks to everyone for following and reading this story! I greatly appreciate it. I will be updating this story if not again tonight by Sunday.

 _Time was passing quickly as law school consumed both Harvey and Donna's life. It was March and they were months away from graduating from Harvard and pursuing their dream careers as practicing lawyers._

 _Harvey and Donna.. well that was complicated. Well, it wasn't complicated. They were basically dating but neither would admit to it. Harvey spent much of his time at Donnas' apartment._

 _At school, they didn't hold hands or act like a couple but everyone knew what was going on. Everyone knew they were in love. Everyone knew, except for maybe them. They never discussed labeling their relationship or talked about their feelings._

 _Donna and Harvey were laying in bed at Donna's apartment. They were both naked with the comforter and bed sheets draped over top of them. Donnas' red hair was sprawled out the pillow and on Harvey's chest. His arm was stretched underneath the pillow as his hand played in her hair._

 _It was snowing. Donna opened the window earlier so she could hear the snow falling. Harvey was convinced it was impossible to hear the snow fall and hit the ground but he learned arguing with Donna was a moot point. She was going to be a lawyer, after all. There was no winning with her which he liked. He just hoped he would never have to go up against her in court. It wouldn't be pretty._

 _"Harvey" Donna said, quietly and abruptly, "I have to tell you something"_

 _"Don't tell me you're married" Harvey said. He felt like that phrase was never a good sign. It's like when a girl says " We need to talk"_

 _Donna laughed, "I'm not married"_

 _"What is it then?" Harvey asked as Donna adjusted from her laying position. She turned towards Harvey and rested her head on her arm._

 _""Do you remember the first day in class when you introduced yourself?" Donna asked, as Harvey nodded his head yes, " I already knew who you were because of Jessica"_

 _Harvey's brows furrowed from confusion, " Jessica Pearson?"_

 _"Yes" Donna answered, "I haven't told anyone this but that's the reason I'm here- why I transferred to Harvard"_

 _Donna had Harvey's full attention._

 _"When I was growing up, my family always had money. For my 12th birthday, I got a grand piano as a gift. I had this phase where I thought I could be a singer. My mom stayed home and took care of us. My dad was an investment banker. Atleast that's what he told us. On Christmas Eve, my dad was arrested in front of me and my sisters. Apparently, the reason why my dad was the most successful banker was because he was embezzling money from his clients. My mom hired a young up and coming lawyer"_

 _"Jessica" Harvey said, following her every word._

 _" You're paying attention" Donna smiled, continuing her story, " There's one moment I can never forget. Men coming into our house and taking all of our things like my piano. We lost our house and had to move. My dad was sent to jail for 8 years. The government froze all of my parent's money except for me and my sister's college fund. Jessica and my family had become really close. She was like an older sister I never had. She didn't know I wanted to be a lawyer. I had gotten scholarships for undergrad which I was thankful for. I worked three jobs to save enough money for law school. I applied to a bunch of different schools including Harvard which I was accepted but there was no way I could afford it so I went to the University of New York. I saw Jessica when my dad was up for early release. She offered to pay for my last year in college at Harvard"_

 _"Did she tell you about me?" Harvey asked, shocked at what he was hearing. He wasn't expecting what Donna was telling him._

 _"She just said that in a few years, there would be two lawyers in my class that the firm would be hiring. I knew that she had a similar relationship with you but I didn't know all the details. I never asked. As soon as I met you, I knew it was you but I never expected to be here with you"_

 _"In bed" Harvey smirked, "It's the charm. It always works"_

 _Donna rolled her eyes, " So, do you still like me? After all of that?"_

 _Harvey smiled, " Donna, it didn't matter to me why or how you got here. The answer wasn't going to change to anything for me. I just feel like I know you more now"_

 _Donna grinned, "It's definitely the charm..and those two cute moles above your eye"_

 _Harvey was busy stuffing his books into his bag. He looked up to see Louis Litt standing in front of him. He groaned. It was the last day of law school. He was a week away from graduating. Harvey was the happiest he had ever been. He was about to fulfill his goal and be a lawyer. He was going home to New York after spending three years in Boston. He was meeting Donna in a few hours for dinner. The last thing he wanted to do was to talk to Louis. There was something about the guy that pushed his buttons. Donna and Louis were friends so Harvey tried his best to be nice._

 _"Congrats on finishing 8th" Louis greeted, " Last year, I didn't think you would make it in the top 10"_

 _Harvey rolled his eyes, " Your number doesn't mean shit in the real world, Louis. This 8 could kick your #2 ass in court any day"_

 _Louis had a smile on his face, " Well, hopefully we will be on the same side. I talked to Jessica and I plan on working at Pearson Hardman"_

 _"We'll see" Harvey responded, with a smirk as he stood up._

 _"That's it? We'll see? The Harvey Specter I know would have a better response than that" Louis replied, " Maybe everyone is right. Being with Donna has made you soft"_

 _"There's so many ways I can take that" Harvey said, with a grin, " I'm in a good mood, Louis. You antagonizing me isn't going to ruin that"_

 _" You're in love with Donna, aren't you?" Louis asked, not giving this conversation up, " Let's be real. She's too good for you. This isn't going to last past college"_

 _Harvey lightly pushed Louis, " You don't; know what you're talking about. I'm not in love with Donna. I figured law students at Harvard would have better things to gossip about than who I'm sleeping with. Donna and I are just hooking up. It doesn't mean anything. My priority is being a lawyer at Pearson Hardman and becoming a name partner. Something you'll never be able to do"_

 _Louis nodded, he loved instigating and pissing Harvey off, "We'll see"_

 _Harvey walked closer to Louis, getting in his face, " We will see when I kick your ass in billables. I can't wait until I'm your boss and you're my bitch, Litt"_

 _"Hey" Harvey grinned, as he watched Donna throwing clothing into a box, "You're terrible at packing"_

 _Donna laughed, " I tried to be neat at first and then I said fuck it"_

 _"It's so empty in here" Harvey observed, looking around the apartment. Three weeks ago, Harvey and Donna graduated from Harvard law school. Two weeks ago, they took the bar exam._

 _"Felicity left yesterday" Donna told him, about her roommate, " She had an interview with a firm in LA. This is happening fast, right? Adulthood?_

 _"Yeah, it is" Harvey responded, " but this is what we've been preparing for since high school"_

 _Donna nodded. To be honest, she was terrified. She had just spent 7 years in college. She thought she would never be finished. Now, here she was, a lawyer._

 _"When do you meet your new boss?" Donna asked. Jessica Pearson had gotten both her and Harvey jobs as ADAs. She wanted them to gain trial experience before they could start at Pearson Hardman. Harvey would be the ADA in New York._

 _"Two weeks" Harvey answered, walking closer to Donna, " I was thinking, let's go somewhere. Take a trip. Somewhere tropical. You in a bikini. Me with a drink in my hand"_

 _Donna tried to smile, "That sounds amazing but.. I can't"_

 _"Why not?" Harvey asked, confused, "When do you have to be in New York?"_

 _Donna stopped packing. She knew she would have to tell Harvey eventually. In fact, she felt guilty for waiting this long._

 _Donna took a deep breath and looked up. She played with her ponytail, preparing herself for this moment she had been dreading for weeks._

 _"Harvey" Donna said, sitting down on a box," The job offer Jessica got for me.. it isn't for New York. It's an ADA position in Baltimore"_

 _Harvey looked shocked and confused, " What? Baltimore? How long have you known?"_

 _Donna felt ashamed, " Since May. Nothing was in stone until I took the bar. Jessica went to Harvard with the DA in Baltimore… and you know Abby is in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins so it was a perfect fit for me"_

 _"So, you've known for three months and didn't tell me?" Harvey yelled, putting his hands through his hair and pacing back and forth. He was pissed._

 _"I.. I didn't know how to tell you" Donna explained, she really had no legit excuse, " You just assumed I was going to New York too"_

 _"When are you leaving?" Harvey asked. He didn't understand how she knew this for three months and never told him._

 _"Friday"_

 _"Friday? As in two days?"_

 _Donna nodded. She couldn't even look at him. She avoided eye contact completely. She had this feeling in her chest that she couldn't shake. She felt terrible._

 _"What the fuck, Donna?" Harvey yelled, he felt devastated, " How is this going to work?"_

 _"What do you mean?" Donna asked, confused by what he was asking._

 _"Us?" Harvey responded, assuming it was an obvious answer, "Me and you?"_

 _To be honest, Donna knew Harvey wouldn't be happy about this but she didn't expect him to be this mad and upset._

 _"I don't really understand why you're so pissed, Harvey" Donna spoke, after a few minutes of thinking, "We were just hooking up, right? This doesn't mean anything to you"_

 _Harvey looked taken aback. Harvey said those exact words to when speaking to Louis Litt a few weeks ago, " How did you..?"_

 _"Louis told me what you said" Donna shrugged, "It's okay. I expected you to say that"_

 _"I didn't mean that, Donna. It was just guys talking. I wasn't going to actually tell Louis fucking Litt how I feel about you"_

 _Donna stood up, "You've never even told me how you feel about me. We've been hooking up and hanging out for the past 7 months. We've never talked about what this means"_

 _"You know how I feel about you" Harvey said_

 _"I don't, Harvey" Donna said, " and that's okay. Our priority here was to graduate from Harvard law school and become kick ass lawyers. Neither of us had intentions of walking away with a serious relationship. We wouldn't have time for that anyways. We need to get trial experience and get ourselves to Pearson Hardman. You're going to New York.. I'll be in Baltimore. We could try to do long distance. We could visit every weekend but eventually.. it will get too hard to juggle work and seeing each other. You're my best friend. Let's just walk away with that intact"_

 _Donna took another deep breath as she continued packing. She felt his gaze on her but she didn't have the courage to look up. As soon as Jessica brought up the idea of Baltimore, the first thing Donna thought of was Harvey. She didn't want to leave him. At first, Donna kept telling herself that they were just hooking up and having fun until graduation. The truth was she was in love with Harvey Specter. Donna also knew that Harvey's first love was law. He came to Harvard with a goal in mind. She didn't want him to sacrifice anything for her. She wanted to let him off the hook. She wanted Harvey to be able to go to New York with nothing holding him back. This was what was best. Right? It didn't feel right. Donna did everything she could to prevent herself from crying while Harvey was in front of her._

 _"I love you, Donna" Harvey said, before walking out of the apartment door._

I promise the next chapter will have present day!

 **Replies Appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Shattered**

Chapter 7

 **By:** Hope

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! Thanks so much to everyone that read and reviewed the last chapter I posted. I'm so happy you are enjoying reading it. I will be posting Chapter 8 by tomorrow night. Maybe even tonight if I can get it finished by then.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters related to Suits.

 **Harvey wasn't sure how long he had been sitting at his desk staring at his laptop screen. It was Monday. He had been in the process of replying to an email but he couldn't focus. He didn't want to come to work today. He had planned to work from home but Donna insisted he come in. She didn't want him to miss work and baby sit her. She was okay. She just needed time to think and figure out what her next step would be.**

 **The last thing Harvey expected to see was Donna when he opened his door Saturday night. He shouldn't have been surprised though. Their relationship was never the expected. Harvey hated thinking about Donna being married to Marshall and enjoying their honeymoon together. Donna wasn't meant to be married to Marshall. It was supposed to Harvey. It was always him since college. They just couldn't get their shit together.**

 **When Harvey looked up from his computer screen, he saw his boss and close friend, Jessica Pearson, sitting across from him.**

" **How is she?" Jessica asked, concerned as she crossed her legs.**

" **She's okay" Harvey replied, " We spent the day yesterday watching every movie about lawyers we could find and eating Chinese food"**

 **Jessica had a small smile, " Try not to be too happy Donna isn't married, Harvey"**

 **Harvey shook his head, " I'm not happy.."**

" **The hell you're not" Jessica quickly spoke, " Did you tell her?"**

" **Tell her what?" Harvey asked, there were probably a few things he needed to tell Donna.**

" **About the night before her wedding?" Jessica questioned. She was so invested and involved in their relationship. She never wanted to be but, they both relied on her for advice. She was a lawyer, not a couples therapist.**

" **No, not yet" Harvey answered, ashamed. He wasn't sure if now was the right time to tell Donna about that night.**

" **What about Scottie? Did you tell Donna the truth about that?" Jessica asked, again. She loved them both but they needed to get their shit together. They were too old to avoid their feelings.**

" **Did you come in here to just give me a hard time?" Harvey asked, deflecting from the question and the obvious no answer.**

" **I'm your boss and friend. That's my job" Jessica said, smacking her red lips together, " You two are the most intelligent people I know. If I ever needed a lawyer, I would go to you both for help. You both are so great with words and communicating in the courtroom but with relationships, that's a completely different story. How many more years are you two going to do this for? At first it was entertaining to watch; now it just makes me sad. Be a man, Specter. This is your time to fix everything. You have the career. Now, get the girl"**

 **Harvey smiled at Jessica's speech," How much do I owe you for that?"**

 **Jessica smirked as she stood up, "I'm too expensive for you, Harvey"**

" **Not the first time I've heard that from a woman" Harvey joked.**

 **Jessica rolled her eyes as she sat a manila envelope on Harvey's desk, sliding it to him.**

" **What's this?" Harvey asked, picking up the envelope**

" **Donnas' job offer" Jessica answered with ease, " I've been trying to convince her to come back for months. I figured she wouldn't be going back to her old firm. Let her know senior partner is all hers. Pearson Specter Litt could really use her. Go home, Harvey"**

 _Louis was standing in Harvey's doorway with a too happy smile on his face. Harvey had noticed he was there a few minutes ago but was hoping if he ignored him, he would go away. His strategy wasn't working. Harvey groaned before closing his laptop and looking up to make eye contact with his frenemy, Louis Litt._

 _"What do you want, Louis?" Harvey asked, annoyed. He had work to do._

 _"Have you walked by Jessica's office in the last half hour?" Louis asked, excited._

 _"Uh, no. I try to not stalk Jessica if I can help it" Harvey responded, with an attitude._

 _"I don't stalk, Harvey. I observe" Louis responded, as he put his hand in his pocket, "You should walk by her office" he suggested, walking back to his own office._

 _Harvey opened his laptop and started typing again before he stopped._

 _"Shit" Harvey muttered to himself, his curiosity got the better of him. Now he needed to know what the hell was going on. Harvey stood up and made his way towards Jessica Pearson's office but stopped in his track when he saw what Louis was talking about. A familiar red head was hugging Jessica. He recognized that hair and those legs. It had been too long._

 _It had been two years since their fight in Donnas' apartment at Harvard in Boston. They hadn't spoken since that day. Harvey thought she was still in Baltimore. He didn't know much about her life. He tried to listen in on Jessica's phone conversations with her but he wasn't very smooth at eavesdropping. Jessica told him if he wanted to know how she was, he should have answered her phone calls._

 _Jessica saw Harvey staring at them causing Donna to turn around and face him._

 _"I'll see you tomorrow" Jessica told Donna, with a hand on her shoulder. Jessica sent a glance to Harvey before walking to her own office. She knew they needed to talk._

 _Donna and Harvey stood in the middle of Pearson Hardman silently just staring at each other before either said anything._

 _"Harvey, I-" Donna started before Harvey interrupted_

 _"What are you doing here?" Harvey asked, with a serious tone._

 _Donna was taken aback with how unhappy he sounded to see her, "I, uh, moved back to New York. Jessica called and offered me a junior partner position"_

 _"You're working here?" Harvey asked, he wasn't sure how to feel about everything. He wished Jessica would have given him a heads up._

 _"I don't want this to be awkward, Harvey" Donna said, with a sad smile._

 _"I didn't know you were back in New York" Harvey stated. He didn't know much about Donna's life anymore. It was his own fault. He kept his distance._

 _"I called you a week ago. I wanted to tell you I was joining the firm. You didn't answer me" Donna said, hurt. It wasn't the first time in two years that Donna had tried to call but was ignored._

 _Harvey put his head down, " I was busy"_

 _"You always are" Donna rolled her eyes, " Is this okay, Harvey?"_

 _Donna wasn't sure why she was so worried about Harvey's feelings. She had just as much a right to work here as he did._

 _Harvey shrugged, " It doesn't matter. This isn't my firm"_

 _"It is your firm. You work here" Donna said, getting angry, " I just don't want to cause any problems"_

 _"I don't care if you work here, Donna" Harvey spoke; he didn't know why he was being so mean. He couldn't help it, " I am capable of being professional. We can be co-workers. It doesn't mean we have to talk to each other or be friends"_

 _Donna tried to keep her eyes from watering as she nodded her head and pushed her lips together, " I forgot how much of an asshole you can be. Good to see you, Harvey."_

 _Donna walked away from Harvey and into the elevator. As soon as the doors shut, she let the tears fall from her eyes._

 _Donna had called Harvey a hand full of times over the two years. Every time, he considered answering. He missed her like crazy but he was still hurt. He knew he shouldn't be holding this in for so long. He thought time passing would make him less angry but seeing her, brought everything back. Harvey wasn't good at his feelings or being in a relationship but he risked that for Donna. It was a huge deal for him. He was hers but she didn't want him. That broke his heart. He had never said " I love you" to any girls he dated. He couldn't even remember the last time he said it to his own mother. Now, he would be seeing her every day._

" **What are you doing?" Harvey asked Donna, as he walked into his apartment. She was sitting on the floor, blaring rap music as she had all of his DVDs on the ground.**

" **Alphabetizing your collection" Donna answered. Her red hair was up in a messy bun. She was wearing his Harvard law t-shirt.**

 **Donna wearing that shirt brought back too many memories. All good. If he closed his eyes, he could remember every time he tore that shirt off of her. He could remember walking into his kitchen on a Saturday morning to see her in only that shirt as she made breakfast. He could remember her sitting on the floor wearing that shirt with her laptop as she prepared for a trial. He remembered how heartbroken he was when he saw that shirt on the floor. All of Donnas things were gone. Her drawer was empty. It was over for the second time.**

 **Harvey walked over and sat down next to her, "You can't put Ghost and Goodfellas together. That's just.. wrong"**

" **It's not wrong. It's alphabetical order" Donna replied, her eyebrows burrowing, " Also, why the hell do you even own Ghost?"**

" **Uh, it's a great story. I can appreciate a good romance movie" Harvey defended himself, " I have something for you"**

" **Is it chocolate?" Donna said, excitedly, " I've been craving chocolate. Or beer. Is it beer?"**

 **Harvey laughed, " No but I can work on getting those for you"**

" **What is it?" Donna asked, disappointed.**

" **On behalf of Pearson Specter Litt, I would like to offer you a position" Harvey said, in best professional voice as he handed her the offer Jessica gave him.**

" **Is this a pity offer?" Donna asked, looking reluctant, " Is this because she feels bad for me?"**

" **Jessica has had this offer for you since the beginning of the year" Harvey justified, " Check the date"**

 **Harvey watched as Donna opened the envelope.**

" **So, what do you say?" Harvey asked, " We are the first firm on jump on the opportunity of your soon to be unemployment"**

 **Donna let out a laugh, " They probably already have my office boxed up by now"**

" **Probably" Harvey agreed, " But fuck them. This is a better offer anyways. Donna Paulsen, senior partner sounds pretty damn good. Doesn't it?"**

" **Yeah it does" Donna grinned, " I'll have to think about it. See if any other firms can counter"**

 **Harvey's eyes bulged making Donna laugh.**

" **Take a joke, Specter" Donna grinned, punching him in the arm.**

" **Let's go" Harvey stood up, holding out his hand for her.**

" **Where are we going?" Donna asked, taking Harvey's hand and standing up next to him.**

" **Wherever you want. We have all day" Harvey answer ed, " but you might want to change"**

" **You don't like my outfit?" Donna asked, half joking.**

" **I love what you're wearing. You in that shirt is my favorite but" Harvey said, " sweatpants and a tshirt is a girls go to when she's sad or heartbroken. You're the strongest person I know, Donna. Let's show everyone you are getting through this. Plus, I may have bought you something"**

 **Donna looked over to see a huge Michael Kors bag, " You have to change too, Specter. That penguin suit needs to go"**

" **This suit is-**

" **Tom Ford. Yeah, I know" Donna said, quickly, " it isn't going to work for where we are going"**

" **I'm starting to regret giving you the option of choosing where we are going"**

" **It'll be fun!" Donna said, hugging Harvey tightly before walking into the bathroom.  
**

 **Reviews Appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Shattered**

 **Chapter 8**

 **By: Hope**

 **Author's Note: I'm so happy you guys liked the last chapter. I loved reading your reviews. Keep it coming :) Here's the next chapter like I promised. Chapter 8 will be posted tomorrow night!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Suits.**

 _Donna, Louis, Harvey, Jessica and other partners sat in the conference room for their weekly meeting to discuss firm business._

" _Sam Andrews, of Andrews Industries wants to meet with us this week about hiring the firm. Signing Andrews Industries would be huge for the firm. Anyone want to take this on?" Jessica asked, looking around the table at some of the best lawyers in New York._

" _I would love the opportunity" Donna volunteered, in her sit next to Louis, "I've only been here for two months and would love a chance to show you what I can do. I'm familiar with Andrews Industries and their contracts"_

 _Without giving a chance for Jessica to respond, Harvey started to talk, " I think I should take this. No offense, Donna, but you're new. We need an experienced lawyer in contracts to land this billable"_

 _Donna rolled her eyes. She hated when people said no offense because whatever they said was usually offensive. Donna wasn't a brand new lawyer. She was experienced. Ever since Donna started at Pearson Hardman, Harvey had went out of his way to be a dick to her. She tried to ignore it and keep the peace. At this point, she was tired of his bullshit. Donna didn't appreciate how he treated her in front of her co-workers._

" _I'm sorry, Harvey, but what grade did you get in contracts at Harvard?" Donna asked, feeling feisty and done with his bullshit._

 _Harvey looked down, " B-"_

 _Donna nodded, " and what number did you graduate with in your class?"_

" _8_ _th_ _" Louis Litt said, answering on Harvey's behalf with a grin on his face. Harvey sent Louis an angry look, "Donna was 3_ _rd_ _"_

 _Louis's favorite Donna was when she was feisty and put people in their place. It was what made her a fantastic lawyer._

" _I think I'm more than capable to take this on" Donna said, looking around at the partners, "I want to help Pearson Hardman continue to be the best law firm in New York. If you give me the opportunity, I will sign Andrews Industries but I understand that I'm new and not everyone may be comfortable. I respect whatever the partners want to do"_

" _I think we should give this to Donna" Jack, a longtime partner and Harvey hater, spoke up. He liked that Donna challenged the great Harvey Specter._

" _Raise your hand if you want Donna to take Andrews Industries on" Jessica asked, the group of partners. Everyone but Harvey raised their hand, "That settles it. Donna, I'll email you everything you need to set up the meeting"_

 _Donna smiled. When the meeting ended, everyone packed up their things to walk out of the meeting. Harvey and Donna both tried to walk through the door. They stared at each other, waiting for which one would go first._

" _Good Luck" Harvey said, with wit, " If you need help, don't come running to me"_

 _Donna rolled her eyes, "When have I ever needed your help, Harvey? If I remember correctly, you're the one that needed my note cards to pass tests. Have a great day"_

 _Donna smiled brightly as she pushed through and walked through the door. Harvey couldn't help but grin. He did enjoy Donna's sass._

 **It was a beautiful day in New York. The sun was shining and there were people walking throughout Central Park which was surprising considering it was a Monday. Donna and Harvey were sitting in the paddle boat in the middle of the lake. There were ducks swimming around them.**

 **Both were dressed casually. Donna wearing jeans, a black t-shirt and a pair of Converse. Harvey in jeans and a button down shirt. Both had on their Ray Bans sunglasses covering their eyes from the bright glare of the sun.**

" **You're supposed to be paddling" Donna laughed, " I'm doing all the work"**

" **Isn't that usually how our relationship goes?" Harvey joked, using his feet to move the boat, " Out of all the things we could do, you wanted to do this?"**

 **Donna nodded, "When I was a little girl, I always wanted to do this. We lived an hour away from here so we didn't come here often but when we did, I begged my dad. He told me we never had time. He was too busy being making shady business transactions. We have time now so yes, this is what I want to do. Later, we're getting tacos and margaritas"**

" **I think I like having off on a Monday" Harvey grinned, " I haven't done anything like this.. in forever"**

" **The last time I was in Central Park…" Donna trailed off, stopping her sentence. Harvey looked at her to continue. He was curious now.**

" **I was with your dad" Donna confessed, thinking about to a few years ago when Gordon Specter was still here.**

" **When?" Harvey asked, perplexed, he didn't know his dad had continued to talk to Donna. He never mentioned it to him.**

" **About three years ago" Donna informed Harvey, both stopped peddling to talk, " I came home from London. My mom was having surgery so I wanted to be there. Your dad and I kept in contact over the years even when we weren't together. Every time, I came to New York, we would have dinner or lunch. The last time I saw him we came to Central Park and went for a walk"**

" **He never told me that you two saw each other" Harvey said, shocked his dad would keep this from him.**

 **Donna shrugged as she pulled her sunglasses on top of her head, "We decided it was best that my relationship with him was separate from any relationship I had with you. I.. I came to his funeral" she admitted.**

" **I didn't see you there" Harvey said, surprised. Jessica was right. They were both great communicators in the courtroom and to everyone else. When it came to talking to each other, they could some work.**

" **I didn't think you would want to see me" Donna admitted, pulling her sunglasses back to cover her eyes, "Should we keep pedaling? "**

" **What's our plan for tomorrow?" Harvey asked, as they both pedaled moving their small boat throughout the lake.**

" **You have to work, Harvey" Donna laughed, he rarely took vacations, sick days or time off.**

" **I haven't taken a vacation in seven years. I can take two days off" Harvey argued, knowing Jessica wouldn't mind.**

 **Donna had a small smile on her face before speaking, " I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm going to Boston. Becca is coming with me. I need to box up my things and bring them here before I start at the firm next week"**

" **Oh" Harvey muttered, Why was he sad she was leaving?"**

 _Harvey walked out of his office and started making his way to Jessica's before something stopped him in his tracks. He noticed William Paulsen, Donnas' father, in her office. Harvey watched as Donna threw her hands in the air in anger as she spoke to him. Donna had tears falling down her face as she wiped them away furiously. She pointed to the door. Harvey watched as William said one more thing before walking out the door aggressively._

 _Harvey took a deep breath as he put his hands in his pocket. Part of him wanted to keep walking and act like he didn't see anything but he couldn't do that. There was something about William Paulsen that pissed Harvey off. He hated what William Paulsen did to their family. He took zero responsibility._

 _Harvey walked into Donnas' office, shutting the door behind him. Donna had on her hand on her forehead covering her eyes. Donna looked up, as tears continued to fall from her brown eyes._

" _You okay?" Harvey asked, concerned, taking a seat in the chair across from her._

" _Don't act like you care now, Harvey" Donna said, angrily._

 _Harvey ignored what Donna said before speaking, "What did he want?"_

" _The usual. He wants to borrow money. Well, not borrow it. Per his words, invest my money into some business prospect. He showed me paperwork. It was barely filled out. None of it was legit" Donna said, pushing the papers towards Harvey_

 _Harvey grabbed them and looked them over, "You're not giving him the money, right?"_

" _No, ofcourse not. I'm not an idiot" Donna responded, "He told me I am a terrible daughter. He's still angry I didn't speak on his behalf during his early release hearing.. that I owe him this. He's the reason I'm a successful lawyer"_

" _He's delusional" Harvey said, angrily, " and an asshole"_

 _Donna nodded as she wiped the makeup off her face from crying, " Harvey, you don't have to be here. I'm okay. I'm used to the Paulsen family drama. I can handle it"_

 _Harvey silently nodded. He felt like an ass. He hasn't made working here easy for Donna._

" _How's the Andrews contract coming along?" Harvey asked, changing the subject to try to make nice._

 _Donna groaned, "Their secretary sent me all of their current contract to look over. It's like a 1000 pages which I need to read and prepare for the meeting by this Friday"_

" _Why don't you take Mike?" Harvey offered, "He's the best associate we have. He could help you with the contracts"_

 _Donna furrowed his brows, " Are you giving me Mike because you feel bad for me?"_

" _No" Harvey said, standing up and putting his hands in his pocket, "I'm giving you Mike as a peace offering. I've been a dick to you lately"_

" _You've been a dick the last three years and .. two months" Donna counted, with a smirk, " but I'll accept the peace offering. I have court in an hour. I'll email Mike the contracts. Thanks, Harvey"_

" _Don't thank me until you lock Andrews down" Harvey smiled, as he walked out of Donnas' office._

 ** _Reviews Appreciated._**


	9. Chapter 9

**Shattered**

 **Chapter 9**

 **By: Hope**

 **Author's Note: Thanks for being patient! I started grad school this week so I got a little distracted. I appreciated everyone's replies and thank you for reading this story and the last chapter. I love that you guys are excited about the next chapter. Chapter 10 will be up either tonight or tomorrow. This chapter is all flashbacks. 10 will have more present time.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters associated with Suits.**

 **Read On :)**

 _" Macallan 18" Donna, wearing a black dress with a black blazer, requesting a drink from the tall, handsome bartender. The bartender winked at her as he poured her scotch sliding it over to her. Donna flashed a flirty smile as she took a sip from her glass._

 _Most of the partners and lawyers at Pearson Hardman were at their local bar across from the firm celebrating signing a huge client which attached a few zeroes onto their quarterly bonus._

 _" I see you have stepped up your drinking game" Harvey commented, as he approached Donna. Things had been better between them since Harvey talked to her in her office after her dad showed up. Things weren't perfect but they were better. There was still a lot of tension between them over things that hadn't been said._

 _Donna shrugged, " I'm a sucker for the cheap stuff but I decided to treat myself tonight"_

 _In college, all they had drunk was the cheap stuff. That was something Harvey loved about Donna. She wasn't like other girls at Harvard who needed the finer things in life. They didn't just need the finer things- they felt entitled to them. Donna could drink cheap scotch, watch baseball and be happy. Harvey watched as Donna took off her blazer and placed it on the back of the chair as she took a seat. Harvey wasn't for sure but he thought Donnas' top was completely see through. Harvey averted his eyes after staring for a few minutes. There was something so sexy about Donna. She was sexy in college but adult Donna.. was different._

 _"Remember when you bought me a bottle of Macallan for graduation?" Harvey said, taking a seat next to Donna as he asked for two more drinks from the bartender._

 _"I do" Donna laughed, " I had to sell my body to buy that bottle"_

 _"It wasn't funny when you told me that when you gave me the bottle. Still, isn't funny now" Harvey said, with a small smirk. He didn't like the image that Donna just gave him._

 _"You remember me saying that?" Donna asked, surprised. It was almost three years ago._

 _"I remember everything involving you" Harvey spoke, locking eyes with Donna, " So, congrats"_

 _"On what?" Donna asked, putting a hand through her curled red hair to compose herself after hearing Harvey say that. Harvey could be a dick but he also had his sweet, romantic side to him. Both affected her in different ways. Harvey could piss her off and make her completely happy._

 _" You are the reason everyone is getting their bonus. You signed Andrews Industries" Harvey watched as Jessica Pearson and Louis Litt were dancing to music a few inches away. Harvey wondered how drunk Jessica was. She always did have a soft spot of Louis like Donna._

 _Donna shrugged and asked, " Do you know how I signed Andrews Industries?"_

 _The bartender gave Harvey his glass and refilled Donnas'. Harvey sent Donna a glance to answer her question._

 _"I went to four years of college, three years at Harvard and worked two more years as ADA. I'm a fucking good lawyer" Donna said, holding the drink her hand, " I spent three days preparing for this meeting but, Andrews could care less about my talent or my pitch. The entire time, he couldn't remove his eyes from my breasts"_

 _"They are pretty nice. I can't blame the guy" Harvey joked, he knew she was pissed. It was tough being a woman in the legal field. He would never have the experience of being sexually harassed like Rachel, Jessica or Donna would have. Although, women had been known to throw themselves at him. He was always respected as a lawyer._

 _Donna gulped down her drink, " I'll just cheer myself up by using that bonus check to go on a nice vacation. Thanks for giving me Mike for a few days. He was great. You have trained him well"_

 _"He's like my little prodigy" Harvey spoke, turning his chair around. Next month, the partners would be voting on who would be promoted and Harvey planned to throw Mike's name in. Now, he knew Donna could help back his decision._

 _"They're really cute" Donna commented, watching as Mike Ross twirled Rachel Zane around on the dance floor._

 _"It'll end badly" Harvey commented, as he removed his suit jacket._

 _"You're so negative, Harvey" Donna took Harvey's glass from his hands and finished his drink._

 _"I'm not negative. More like realistic. Rachel's moving to California to start Stanford in a few months. Long distance doesn't work. Ever. " Harvey informed Donna, " I can't believe you took and drank my drink"_

 _Donna had a smirk on her face. She was feeling the alcohol._

 _"Well, if you weren't such a pussy nursing your drink. I wouldn't have taken it" Donna winked, turning her stool around to ask for two more drinks from the bartender._

 _" Ooh, I forgot how feisty drunk Donna was" Harvey laughed. He watched as Donna and the bartender, his name was Max, flirted. He tried his best to not be jealous but he couldn't help it. It was Donna._

 _Max walked away to take care of other customers as Louis yelled for Donna to dance with him._

 _Donna stood up, pushing her red lips together thinking about what she wanted to say._

 _"Are you seeing anyone, Harvey?" Donna asked, with a hand on her hip._

 _Harvey smiled as he could tell Donna was drunk, " I'm not"_

 _Donna was processing his answer but she spoke, " Good. Walk me home later?"_

 _Donna didn't even wait for Harvey to answer before walking away to dance with Louis. Harvey just bit his lip as he watched them dance_.

 _Harvey adjusted the collar of his sweater as he walked on to the train. This had been an annual trip for Harvey the past few years. He dreaded when this weekend would come. Most people loved fall. The leaves were changing and there was a coolness in the air. But Harvey hated October. October 5th to be exact. He carried his luggage through the aisle, looking for his seat. He stopped when he saw a certain familiar red head sitting in the seat next to his. Why the hell was Donna here?_

 _Harvey slowly walked over and sat next to her. He was surprised, no he was shocked, to see her. She had her hair up in a ponytail with her sunglasses sitting on the top of her head. She was wearing jeans, brown riding boots and a plaid button up shirt._

 _"What are you doing here?" Harvey asked._

 _Donna shrugged, " A three hour train ride is pretty boring. I brought cards"_

 _Harvey shook his head with a smile, " Donna.."_

 _"Jessica told me you take a trip to Rochester every year. I thought this year you could use some company" Donna spoke, in a gentle voice. There wasn't a day that went by that Donna didn't think of or miss Gordon Specter._

 _" You didn't need to do this. I could do it on my own" Harvey informed her, he appreciated her being here but, this was something he wanted to do by himself._

 _"I know you can, Harvey. I know you have done this on your own the last two years. But.." Donna looked directly into Harvey's gray eyes, " What did you say to me in college when you forced me to come to Thanksgiving with you even though I was adamant about staying by myself? You said that we were family and you weren't taking no for an answer. That's what I'm saying to you now. I'm going whether you want me to or not. Also, I brought snacks" Donna dug into her brown Michael Kors satchel," and these"_

 _Donna showed Harvey a zip loc bag of mini bottles of alcohol._

 _Harvey had to admit: it was nice having Donna here. There was something about her that just made him happy despite how unstable and inconsistent their relationship had been over the years. Maybe she was right. Maybe he needed her here and didn't even realize it._

 _"I'll take the Vodka" Harvey grinned, as she handed him the mini bottle_

 _"Good choice. It's Russian" Donna commented, " but be nonchalant. I don't want to get us kicked off this thing. Who knew trains were still a mode of transportation?"_

 _"Everyone knows" Harvey laughed, making fun of her as they both downed their bottles of alcohol._

 _Harvey and Donna sat on the ground in front of Gordon Spector's grave. Harvey gave Donna a glass, sat a glass on his father's grave and held a glass in his hand. He poured the bottle of bourbon from out of his backpack into each of the glasses._

 _Donna took a sip of the dark liquid and made a face, she forgot how strong this was, " Tell me a Gordon story I don't know"_

 _Harvey sat silently for a few moments, thinking of what he wanted to say," Before ever wanting to be a lawyer, I wanted to be a professional baseball player like most boys when they were 8 years old. In December, my parents, Marcus and I went to the local mall to see Santa. When it was my turn, Santa asked me what I wanted for Christmas like he always does. I told him I wanted a new baseball glove because I needed to practice for when one day I would play shortstop for the Yankees. Afterwards, my mom yelled at me in front of everyone telling me that I should aspire to be something more realistic. If Santa brought me a glove, I wouldn't be allowed to play with it. I needed to focus on my homework" Harvey took a break from his story to take another sip, " Later that night was the first and only time I've ever heard my father yell at my mom. He wanted me to dream and to believe I could be anything I wanted to be. He hated that my mom tried to take that away from me. The next morning, my dad surprised me with a baseball glove. We played catch for like two hours. It was one of the most memorable moments of my childhood"_

 _Donna tried to push away the tears welling in her eyes as she smiled, " Gordon was a great man"_

 _"He.. was" Harvey agreed, it was still hard to say it in past tense, " What's your Gordon story?"_

 _"Do you remember when your dad took us to dinner after graduation?" Donna asked, remembering the moment herself as she held the glass near her lips, " I was upset because my dad didn't even show up to watch me walk across the stage. You had gone to the bathroom or something. Your dad said to me.. I'm going to tell you something any good father would tell their child- something your father should have told you. I'm so proud of you and the woman you've become. I know the road here wasn't easy for you. I never had the privilege of watching you grow up but I can't wait to see what the future holds. You are going to make a damn good lawyer. I can't remember one thing that my father had said to me in my life that had an impact like what Gordon said to me. I know you miss me. I miss him too. Harvey, you had almost half a lifetime with him. I know you wanted more but all you can do is be grateful for the time you had and never lose any of those memories" Donna wiped the tears from her eyes with one of her hands, as she downed the rest of the drink in her glass despite the taste._

 _After a few minutes of silence, Harvey finally spoke, "I'm glad you're here, Donna"_

 _On the train ride back to the city, Donna woke up to find her head on Harvey's shoulder and his hand intertwined with hers. He was fast asleep._

 _Replies Appreciated._


	10. Chapter 10

**Shattered**

 **Chapter 10**

 **By: Hope**

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! Sorry this update is a day or two late. Grad school is already kicking my ass. I'm hoping to have Chapter 11 posted tonight as well. If not tonight, it will be up tomorrow. Thank you for everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. Seeing your reviews makes me happy! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Let me know what you guys think!

Read on :)

" **I think that's it" Donna announced to her sister as they put the last box onto the moving truck. Donna and Becca had spent the entire day packing up everything that was hers from the apartment she shared with Marshall in Boston. It was a tough day but Donna was grateful her younger sister came along.**

" **You have a lot of shit" Becca, the blonder Paulsen, observed as she wiped her forehead. Why the hell was it so hot out?"**

 **Donna ignored her statement and spoke, " Thanks for coming here with me, Becs"**

 **Becca smiled, as she readjusted her ponytail, "Ofcourse. Abby wasn't going to come. You know she hates manual labor"**

 **Donna nodded, in agreement, before staring back at the beautiful brick building which was her home, "I guess this is it. Back to New York and single. I didn't expect my life to.. go this route"**

 **Becca looked hesitant.**

" **What?" Donna asked, noticing the middle Paulsen's facial expression.**

 **Becca shrugged, " Honestly, I would have been more surprised if you married Marshall"**

" **You didn't think I would?" Donna asked her sister.**

" **Donna, I love you and Marshall he is a great guy but, let's be real here. The only man I can see you spending your life with is Harvey"**

 **Donna took a deep breath, " Harvey and I.. just can't seem to get it together. Maybe it's time to let that go"**

" **Isn't that why you left, Donna?" Becca asked, she loved her sister but she needed to face everything. It was now or never, " You went to his house"**

" **I just.. didn't want to settle" Donna responded, pulling her sunglasses up on to her head.**

 **Becca took a deep breath, " The night before your wedding – almost wedding- we stayed at mom's house. Harvey showed up"**

 **Donna looked confused and angry that her mom and sisters hadn't told her this, "Why didn't anyone tell me?"**

" **Mom told us not to tell you" Becca confessed, " She didn't want him showing up to influence you. She wanted you to make your own decision on your future. You and Harvey.. well you're super fucked up but, I would kill to have what you two have"  
**

 _Harvey was having the world's shittiest day. Today, Harvey learned his favorite client, Godwin Enterprises, was changing leadership. Charles Godwin was retiring and giving the company to his douche of a son, Spencer. Harvey hated Spencer. Spencer was terrible with business decisions and only wanted to make money. The only reason Spencer got this promotion was because he was his father's only son. Fucking Nepotism._

 _Harvey had to spend three hours at a bar with Spencer and his just as douchey friends at request of Charles which was exactly what Harvey wanted to do on a Friday Night._

 _It was 9 pm when Harvey walked back into the halls of the firm. It was quiet. Everyone had already gone home. As he walked to his office, he noticed Donnas' light was still on. He wondered if she were still here. It had been about a month since Harvey and Donna took the trip to Rochester._

 _Gretchen had already left for the night. She asked to leave early. It was bingo night. With his hands in his pocket, Harvey walked into his office. He stopped when he saw familiar legs comfortably resting on Harvey's desk. Donna had a glass of wine in her hand as jazz music was playing in the background._

" _Make yourself at home, Donna" Harvey joked, "What are you still doing here?"he asked, surprised, walking over to where he kept his scotch. He poured himself a glass as he took off his gray suit jacket, throwing it on the couch._

" _Catching up on some work. It's always quiet on Friday nights" Donna answered, " and what else would I be doing? I would just be watching Dateline in my pjs"_

" _You're really living it up, Donna" Harvey joked, taking a seat on the couch_

" _How was your meeting?" Donna asked, already know Harvey's answer._

 _Harvey took a drink before answer, " It was awful"_

" _Yeah, I heard Spencer is kind of an ass" Donna agreed, drinking the rest of her wine and sitting down her glass._

" _Spencer made us do keg stands" Harvey told her, shaking his head, " What am I? 21 in college? I'm a fucking Harvard educated lawyer"_

 _Donna laughed, "But you were 8_ _th_ _"_

 _Harvey rolled his eyes but grinned, " Funny, Paulsen"_

 _Harvey stood up to refill his glass. Donna slowly pushed her glass over, silently asking Harvey to fill her glass with the half empty bottle of wine._

" _So" Donna began, as Harvey handed her her glass of wine and took his seat back on the couch giving her his full attention, "You dated Felicity?" referring to her college roommate._

 _Harvey's eyes bulged a little, " Who the hell told you that?"_

 _Donna shrugged and said, " Don't avoid the question, Harvey"_

" _Yeah, for a few months" Harvey answered, feeling awkward, " like two years ago"_

 _Donna took off her nude heels before continuing the conversation, " That's it? What happened? She couldn't handle the Specter charm?"_

 _This was a conversation Harvey really wanted to avoid having. He was embarrassed that he actually dated Felicity. He wasn't sure if dating was even what it was. They had dinner a few times and hooked up. Harvey didn't consider it a serious relationship. He didn't even really consider it a relationship in general. Harvey knew her told Donna. It had to have been Louis._

" _Nothing happened, Donna. Why does something have to happen? It was what it was. She was nice but it wasn't what I wanted" Harvey said, feeling aggravated._

" _Are you ever going to settle down?" Donna joked, the glasses of wine affecting her as she took another sip from her glass._

 _Harvey sent a serious glance, " You don't want me to answer that"_

" _Harvey, you're so serious. I was just.. joking like friends do" Donna said, feeling sad. Things were better between them. It had even begun to get a little flirty but there were no many things unsaid. Donna was ready to go there and have that conversation. The red wine also helped._

" _We aren't really friends. We used to be." Harvey said, sounding more harsh than he meant, " We're.. co workers"_

 _Despite her drunkenness, Donna felt her heart break a little. She tried to slow her heart beat down before speaking, "Why the hell can't we be friends, Harvey?"_

" _We haven't spoken in three years, Donna" Harvey said, quickly, knowing it wasn't a legit excuse._

" _I called you!" Donna yelled, standing up from her seat in Harvey's desk chair, "I called you so many times I couldn't even count. I tried. I left you messages. Us not talking isn't my fault. That's a lame ass excuse. You're a lawyer. You can do better"_

 _Harvey shook his head as he stood up, "I don't want to do this right now"_

 _Donna started walking toward him, barefoot, "Well, that's too bad, Harvey because I do. Why didn't you answer my phone calls?"_

 _Harvey started walking towards the door, "You're drunk. It's late. I'm not doing this"_

" _Just leave, Harvey. This is what you do best. Avoid shit. Grow a pair of balls and let's talk about this. We should have talked about this years ago but we both suck at serious conversation" Donna said, walking towards him in a navy blue dress, her eyes were watering._

" _Why didn't you answer when I called, Harvey?" Donna threw her hands in the air, asking the question again that had been on her mind for months._

" _If I answered, what was there to say? What the hell would we talk about?" Harvey asked, standing a few feet from the door_

" _I would tell you.. about how many times I got lost in Baltimore, that I taught your dad how to eat crabs when he came to visit, that my sister was getting married.. that my parents separated" Donna said, " I would get your advice and input on cases that I was struggling with. I would tell you that I was lonely and that I missed you" Donna confessed, looking at the ground and avoiding his eyes which she felt on her._

" _Donna" Harvey said, quietly, " You broke my heart that day in your apartment when you told me you were going to Baltimore"_

" _It wasn't easy for me either" Donna admitted, " I knew what we had was.. different. It was special but I didn't think you were ready. I wasn't sure I was either. The reason we even connected initially was our goal and focus on graduating law school and becoming lawyers. I didn't have much choice in the position I took- it wasn't going to be in New York. I thought ending it was the easiest option for both of us"_

" _I don't need you to make decisions for me" Harvey said, angrily, " You are the only woman I've ever told I love you too"_

" _I know" Donna took a deep breath," When I left for Baltimore, I always knew in my heart that it wasn't over for us. It just wasn't the right time in college. We had to build our careers first before we could really .. do this. The last thing I wanted to do was hold you back or affect any decision you made about your career. You deserved every opportunity that came your way without having any attachments"_

 _Donna walked closer to Harvey standing inches away from him._

" _When is going to be the right time for us?" Harvey asked, honestly. Despite not seeing or talking to Donna the past three years, he never not thought about her. He tried not to but he couldn't. He would lay in bed after working all day and think about their moments together. She meant more to him than he could ever truly explain in words._

" _Kiss me, Harvey" Donna requested_

" _What?" Harvey asked, surprised at her response._

 _Without asking again, Donna decided to take it upon herself. Donna tried to not think too hard before she pressed her lips against Harvey's._

 _At first, it took Harvey a few seconds to react. He pressed his lips back just as hard. His hands went to the sides of her face and down to her waist._

 _The kiss felt like an eternity. But to Harvey, it wasn't long enough when they finally separated._

 _Donnas' hands were still holding onto Harvey's tie, " It's nice to know after a few years, that it's still there" she smirked, "I'm a little wine drunk"_

 _Harvey smiled and nodded, " Go grab your stuff. Ray can take you home"_

 **Replies Appreciated**


	11. Chapter 11

**Shattered**

 **Chapter 11**

 **By: Hope**

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for being so patient. I started a new job this week so that affected me being able to update earlier. Thanks to everyone for reading the last chapter and reviewing. I appreciate it. And special thanks to those that sent kind words about grad school. You guys are amazing. Okay, so, here is the new chapter. I promise Chapter 12 will have a present day moment. I have to use the flashbacks to get you all to understand where Donna/ Harvey's relationship has been and to present day when Donna decided to not get married. I'm happy you guys are still with me. I know there's a ton of flashbacks. Enjoy :)**

 _It was Saturday night. Typical, Harvey was home sitting on his couch. He had on a pair of jeans and a Harvard t-shirt watching the Yankees game. His laptop was open on the coffee table as he attempted to get some work done. It had been crazy at the firm as Hardman was forced to step down thanks to Jessica and him. 2 of the oldest partners left as well showing their loyalty to Hardman._

 _Harvey looked up when there was a knock on his apartment door. It was 10:30 pm and he had no clue who it could be. He wasn't expecting company. Harvey pressed pause on his remote as he stood up and walked to the door, with his bare feet hitting the hardwood floors._

 _Harvey was surprised to see Donna as he opened the door. She looked amazing. She was wearing a black dress and nude heels which showed her red toes. Her hair was curled and lips were painted red. Unlike Harvey, Donna had plans tonight._

 _"You look good" Harvey complimented, forgetting how casual he looked. He was home on a Saturday night. He felt lame._

 _Donna smiled before walking past Harvey into his apartment. She didn't need an invite. Harvey watched her, slowly shutting the door behind her. He wasn't sure why she was here but he didn't mind it._

 _Donna removed her heels, throwing them on the floor. She took a seat on Harvey's couch and unpaused the game._

 _"You have any alcohol?" Donna asked, already knowing the answer. Harvey always had a stocked bar._

 _Harvey smirked as he went into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of scotch and two glasses as he made his way back to his seat._

 _"Where were you tonight?" Harvey asked, curious. He filled both glasses with brown liquor handing Donna her glass._

 _"We threw Abby a surprise birthday party" Donna answered, taking a sip of her drink, "Harvey, I talked to my mom tonight. What happened with my dad?"_

 _That's why she was here. Harvey was waiting for the moment she found out. She thought she would be pissed but, she wasn't._

 _Harvey took a deep breath as he held the glass in his hand, " I went into your office and I noticed the contract your dad gave you. I knew you were considering helping him even though you said you weren' might have chosen not to.. but I know how tough the relationship with your dad is. I was worried you might give him the money which he didn't deserve. It's fucked up your dad would even guilt you into that. I made a copy of the contract and found the address of the fake company your dad wanted to invest in" Harvey confessed, " I threatened to sue them. I'm sorry, Donna. I know you didn't ask for my help or want me involved but.. I had to"_

 _Donna nodded, "Harvey, why did you do it?"_

 _Harvey looked confused, " I wanted to help you"_

 _"But why?" Donna asked, again. Donna and Harvey hadn't really talked about the kiss or conversation that had happened two weeks ago in Harvey's office. Despite being drunk, Donna couldn't stop thinking about it. She wasn't sure if it only happened because they were drinking. Neither brought it up. Harvey helping her family in this way.. it had to mean something more, right?_

 _Harvey wasn't sure what she was asking for. Was she waiting on a specific answer? Like Donna, Harvey also couldn't stop thinking about their kiss. Every day, while in his office, he kept replying the kiss in his head. It was distracting. He was waiting for Donna to bring up the conversation since she initiated the kiss. He wasn't sure how much longer they were going to play this game where they avoided the issue. It was his game after all. Donna was right. Harvey was king of avoiding shit. It was a trait he got because of his mother._

 _"You're not mad at me?" Harvey asked, he truly thought she would come here and punch him. Instead, she was sitting on his couch with her feet up enjoying a drink._

 _"I'm not mad, Harvey" Donna responded, " I felt relieved when my mom told me. My dad is pissed but.. who cares how he feels?" she waited a second before continuing, " Do you still love me Harvey?"_

 _Donna decided to just say what was on her mind. She was tired of avoiding shit. They had been avoiding shit for too long._

 _Harvey looked taken aback by Donnas' question. Donna noticed Harvey's expression. She decided it was best she keep talking. The last thing she wanted to do was freak Harvey out. It wasn't hard to do when it came to relationships. Donna remembered when Scottie asked Harvey to meet her parents one weekend. Harvey avoided Scottie for almost two weeks before finding an excuse to get out of it._

 _"In my apartment at Harvard, you told me you loved me before you left" Donna kept talking, using her hands from being stressed out by the topic, " I never had a chance to respond. I love you, Harvey. I loved you in college and I love you now. I'm not saying this to freak you out and I'm not saying we have to be in a relationship now. What I'm saying is.. I think this is the right time for us to try. Maybe go on a date or something. Whatever two people who like each other do"_

 _Harvey smiled, " What about tonight? How about a date to Yankee stadium? I could order a pizza"_

 _Donna slowly had a huge smile on her face, " I never say no to pizza"_

 _Harvey nodded with a smirk on his face as he stood up to grab his phone. He stopped and came back to the couch. He leaned down to where Donna was sitting and pushed his lips against hers, a shock to her._

 _"I helped you and your family because you're important to me" Harvey said in her ear. He placed a kiss to her cheek before walking away to order the pizza._

 _Harvey felt.. happy. Giddy, almost. But he would never admit to using the word giddy. That word was for teenage girls. He felt like this was a new beginning for them. Or a contuition of where they started a few years ago. Harvey never liked the idea of being in a relationship. It was too adult for him but .. if the relationship was with Donna, he was all in._

 _Harvey sat at the local bar near the firm, waiting for Mike Ross to arrive. Harvey held his glass of scotch in his hand. He was still dressed in his usual Tom Ford work suits. He had only been sitting here for a few minutes. Harvey had known Mike Ross for over a year. After Mike helped Harvey on one of his cases, he decided to take him under his wing. Mike was a good kid and a super smart lawyer. At first, Harvey didn't talk to Mike about anything but work despite Mike's best attempts to befriend him. Eventually, Harvey caved and over time, Mike became one of Harvey's closest friends. He didn't have many of those. Harvey had noticed Mike was acting different. He was quiet when he was usually a Chatty.. Mike. He would make jokes, make fun of Louis with Harvey and quote movies. Harvey decided to ignore it in hopes it was a one off thing. Five days later, Mike was still sad and quiet. Harvey wasn't one for feelings especially with another guy. Harvey knew Mike didn't have anyone else. Harvey decided to man up and be a friend. He could do that._

 _When Harvey looked up, Mike was sitting next to him. Harvey already ordered two shots which were waiting in front of them._

 _"We never have drinks" Mike announced, suspiciously, " What's going on? Am I getting fired?"_

 _Harvey rolled his eyes, "You're not getting fired. Take the goddamned shot"_

 _Mike and Harvey grabbed their individual shot glasses. They held the shot up, tapped glasses and swallowed the liquor._

 _"Really? Whiskey?" Mike asked, making a face, " So, seriously. Why are we here?"_

 _Harvey sipped his scotch before responding, " This is what we are going to do. We've known each other for a while but we never talk about personal shit which is my fault. I'm not.. a personal kind of guy. So, tonight, I'm going to ask you what's going on and why the hell you've been so damn somber. You're going to tell me. We will have an adult conversation about our feelings and then.. we never speak about this again. Got it?"_

 _"You're such a good friend, Harvey" Mike joked, while loosening his tie, "Why didn't you become a therapist instead? You're so warm and fuzzy"_

 _"You have ten minutes before my offer expires" Harvey said, drinking the rest of his scotch and slamming it down, indicating to the bartender he needed a refill._

 _Mike sighed, " Rachel leaves for Stanford next week. I'm thinking about breaking up with her. Well, not breaking up with her because we aren't officially together but-"_

 _"You're rambling" Harvey observed, stopping his friend from continuing his run off sentence, " What are your reasons for ending it?"_

 _"She's going to be across the country for three years" Mike explained, " Everyone knows long distance relationships never work"_

 _Harvey nodded, " How do you feel about Rachel?"_

 _Mike sighed, " When my grandmother died, I had no one. Rachel.. changed everything for me. She's my family now. I love her, Harvey"_

 _"Then, don't end it" Harvey said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world._

 _" I wish it were that simple. Long distance isn't easy" Mike argued, he hated the idea of only seeing Rachel every so often. He had gotten used to seeing her every day._

 _"Mike, I'm going to tell you something personal and if you ever tell anyone I told you this, I will kill you" Harvey threatened, " and I'll hire Louis as my attorney. In college, Donna and I were together. Kind of like how you and Rachel are. We hadn't labeled anything or talked about the future"_

 _"I knew you guys had a thing!" Mike exclaimed, he kept asking Louis and Rachel but they both wouldn't divulge any details, " The sexual tension between you two.. you can cut it with a knife"_

 _"Shut up" Harvey said, rolling his eyes but a smirk on his face, " After graduation, I thought we were both going to New York for work but, I found out she was moving to Baltimore. We talked about long distance but we wrote it off, saying it was too hard. We just went through seven years of college. That was hard but fighting to be with the person you love.. that's easy. I should have fought harder to be with her and to prove to her that I was invested in what we had. Instead, I walked away. You can get through a few tough years to invest in a forever with Rachel"_

 _Mike nodded, agreeing and appreciating Harvey's advice, " Are you sure you didn't miss your calling of being a therapist? You're like Dr Phil but more hair"_

 _Harvey's eyebrows furrowed, " and I'm more attractive. You can't forget that"_

 _"So, what's going on with you and Donna?" Mike asked, he didn't know much about Harvey and he was incredibly curious._

 _"We've gone on a few dates" Harvey answered, surprising himself. No one knew what was developing between Harvey and Donna._

 _"Have you guys.." Mike asked, wiggling his eyebrows_

 _"Seriously?' Harvey asked, " What are we in highschool?"_

 _"Dude, Donna's hot!" Mike responded. She reminded him of Harvey. Mike could see why Harvey was in love with Donna._

 _"Back off my girl" Harvey said, sternly, taking another sip of his drink._

 _"So, it's official now? You two are together?" Mike asked, he was using this time to get as much information as he could. He knew this was a one off moment between the two of them._

 _"Well, no. Not exactly" Harvey responded._

 _"Maybe you should take your own advice. It's time for Harvey to grow up and get a girlfriend" Mike joked, he didn't say this to Harvey but he was his family too._

 _"I didn't know it was boys night out" Louis Litt, exclaimed, happily, taking a seat next to Harvey, " Three Shots! Do you guys like lemon drops? They're my favorite"_

 _Harvey and Mike just stared at each other and downed their drink._

 _"These came for you" Sasha, Donna's super young and blonde secretary, told her boss as she sat a bouquet of sunflowers on her desk, " Tyler never sends me flowers. He bought me Chipotle the other day. He thinks that counts as being thoughtful"_

 _Donna laughed as she pulled her laptop down and opened the card. She knew immediately who they were from. Only Harvey knew sunflowers were her favorite. Donna grinned and shook her head as she read what Harvey wrote. She quickly stood up, putting her too uncomfortable black high heels back on. Donna made her way to Harvey's office, sending a smile to Gretchen as she walked into Harvey's office._

 _"What is this?" Donna asked, with a serious look on her face._

 _Harvey looked up from reading an email, " Did you make an appointment? Gretchen just let you in?"_

 _"Gretchen and I have an agreement that I can come in here whenever I want" Donna informed Harvey._

 _"I'm her boss!" Harvey smirked, "What's the agreement?"_

 _"That's between her and I" Donna responded, walking to stand in front of Harvey's desk, "What's this? Will you be my girlfriend? Yes, No or maybe. Are we in 5th grade?"_

 _Harvey grinned, " I was trying to be cute. It wasn't cute?"_

 _Donna shrugged and pushed her red stained lips together, " It was a little cute"_

 _"Well, what's the answer? You didn't follow the instructions and check off a box" Harvey said, looking at Donna waiting for an answer, " I thought we should try something different. We've been.. doing this for a month now. In college, we made the mistake of not labeling what we were. I think we should be adults now"_

 _Donna smiled before taking a pen off of Harvey's desk. She held the card in her hand and checked off a box, sliding the card face down towards Harvey as she begun to walk out._

 _"Oh snap! This is official" Harvey grinned, joking, " Should I put this on facebook?"_

 _"Shut up, Specter" Donna said, with a smile as she passed by Gretchen's desk._

 **Reviews Appreciated :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Shattered**

 **Chapter 12**

 **By: Hope**

 **Author's Note: Happy Sunday! Thanks for everyone for the well wishes for school and the new job. I really appreciate it. I probably won't be able to update for a few days so decided to surprise you and update the story today. This chapter is all present day. Thanks to everyone for reading. I love that you guys love this story.**

 **Read me :)**

The elevator opened as Donna took a deep breath and slowly walked out. It was her first day at Pearson Specter Litt. Well, it was her first second day. Her heart was beating. She was nervous which was weird because she was never nervous. Donna always had a knack for being calm under pressure which made her an even better lawyer.

Donna looked up at the sign. She couldn't help but smile. Despite her nervousness, she felt like she was home. She had always missed working here over the past few years. Working at Marshall's fathers' firm was nice but .. different. Here, she had friends.

She had just gotten back from Boston with her sister yesterday. She spent the night at Abby's apartment. She was still technically homeless. It was sad packing up her belongings from her and Marshall's apartment they shared in Boston. It was the end for them and even though that was her decision and fault, she was still sad. The process was easier since Marshall wasn't there. She didn't have to face him. She knew he was pissed. She could tell when the pictures of them hanging on the walls were broken and shattered on the ground.

Donna was excited to get back to work. She needed to focus her energy into something else. Her relationship was over but her love for her job would never end. She would always have that passion for law and helping others.

She wore her favorite dress today. It was navy blue. She was worried people would stare at her. Would they think she's an asshole for leaving a guy at the altar? A guy that most people at the firm knew.

She took another deep breath as she walked down the hall. She passed her office as she made her way to Harvey's. She hadn't seen Harvey since she left for Boston a few days ago.

She wanted to see him. She missed him. In what way, she wasn't sure. Last night, she tossed and turned thinking about what Becca told her. Harvey came to her mom's house the night before her wedding. She wanted to ask him why he came and why didn't he tell her. She knew asking him at work probably wasn't a good decision. Donna thought maybe it was best to wait until he told her himself whenever that would be.

"Red, nice to have you back" Gretchen smiled, " You looking for Harvey? He won't be in until 12. He had a breakfast meeting"

"Oh" Donna said, a little disappointed, "Okay. Well, let him know I stopped by I guess"

"Do we still have the same agreement?" Gretchen asked. Donna never needed an appointment to talk to Harvey. Gretchen always let her go in whenever she wanted.

"Um" Donna spoke, unsure, "No. I'll make appointments with you if I need to talk to him"

Donna turned to walk away, stopping when she heard Gretchen's voice.

" We're getting a cake for Mike and Rachel today" Gretchen said, " Did you want to pitch in?"

It was now Donnas' turn to be confused, " Cake for what?"

"To celebrate their engagement" Gretchen responded, Why didn't she know this?

Donna opened her purse to find her wallet. She pulled out her credit card and sat it on Gretchen's desk, " Put it on my card. Just bring it back to me later"

"I'll tell Harvey you came by" Gretchen promised.

Donna smiled a thank you as she made her way to her office. She threw down her briefcase on the couch in her office. She turned out and walked down the hallway to where Rachel's office was, walking in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Donna asked, sternly. She was a little pissed off one of her closest friends didn't share the news. Hell, Rachel was her maid of honor. They told each other everything even the terrible things.

Rachel stopped typing and looked up, " Tell you what?"

"Seriously?" Donna asked, sitting in the chair across from Rachel, "You're engaged?"

Rachel looked down, "I was just waiting for the right time to tell you"

"Instead you waited for Gretchen to tell me the news" Donna responded, "When did this happen?"

"Last week" Rachel answered, feeling ashamed that Donna found out from Gretchen.

"Last week? Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Donna asked, confused.

"I.." Rachel spoke, trying to think of the right words to say, " You have a lot going on right now. I didn't want to be insensitive. You were supposed to be married. I didn't want it to be awkward"

"Rachel. I appreciate you looking out for my feelings but there was no way in hell I wasn't going to be happy for you just because I never got married and my life is kind of a mess. I'm a better friend than that" Donna smiled, " I'm so happy for you and Mike. Just don't runaway like I did"

Rachel laughed but got serious, " I'm really sorry"

Donna shrugged, "I'll forgive you this time, Zane. Soon to be Ross. We need to celebrate. Drinks this week?"

Rachel nodded, "Definitely. Did I tell you how happy I am that you're back?"

Donna grinned, "You can tell me a few more times"

"Your office looks amazing. I may need to remodel mine now" Louis Litt said, walking into Donna's office holding a large brown bag in his hand, "When are you getting a secretary? Anyone can just walk in"

Donna grinned at seeing her old friend, "Louis. I was wondering when you would stop by. I'm getting a temp tomorrow until I hire someone"

Donna stood up from her seat and walked over to give Louis a huge hug.

"I brought you a salad from your favorite deli" Louis informed her, handing her the bag. Donna didn't realize the time. Her stomach had been growling. She looked down at her watch and noticed it was already 1 pm. The day was flying by.

"You're amazing" Donna told him, with a smile. She looked into the bag and noticed there was a card inside. She took it out and opened it. Inside the card were tickets to a Broadway show.

"I figured it has been awhile since you've been" Louis grinned, as he put his hands in his pocket. Louis had always been the most thoughtful guy she knew.

"Thank you. This is so sweet" Donna grinned and kissed his cheek as they both took a seat on the couch to talk, " You're coming with me, right?"

Louis looked surprised she would invite him, " Yeah, ofcourse. There's nowhere else I'd want to be"

"Good, it's a date" Donna smiled, she had really missed her friendship with Louis. They had talked and visited over the past few years she was in Boston. It was crazy but Louis got her in a way no one else really had.

Louis took a deep breath, he needed to get something off his chest, "Donna, I wanted to tell you I'm sorry. In college, I shouldn't have told you about the conversation I had with Harvey about your relationship. It wasn't my place"

Donna gave Louis a small smile, " Louis, that was almost 8 years ago. I was never mad at you. We were friends. Friends tell each other things"

"Yeah, but .. I didn't tell you as a friend. I told you that because.. I loved you, Donna. I was jealous of the relationship you had with Harvey. He had everything.. a position waiting for him at Pearson Hardman. Professors loved him despite his lack of effort. He had you. You remember how competitive we were and still are. I feel like if hadn't told you what he said.. that maybe you guys would be together. All of this.. wouldn't be happening" Louis admitted, he couldn't stop thinking about the affect his involvement had on Donna's life lately.

Donna placed her hand on top of Louis' leg, " You didn't cause this to happen, Louis. If you wouldn't have told me, I'm sure something else would have came up. That's just how it is with Harvey and me. We can't seem to get it right"

Louis felt a weight lifted off his shoulder. He hated seeing Donna sad. He hated it more if it was his fault. He loved Donna. She was one of his only friends. She accepted him for who he was and always had his back even if it meant challenging Harvey. Harvey and Louis had mended their relationship recently. It helped that they were both name partners. Louis didn't know a lot about Harvey's personal life but one thing he knew was Harvey's love for Donna. Louis was rooting for them even when he was sitting in the pews waiting for Donna to marry someone else.

"I have a meeting" Louis announced, as he stood up from the couch and made his way towards the door.

"Louis, thank you for lunch" Donna appreciated, " Mudding Friday?"

Louis grinned, " You want to continue our tradition?"

Donna nodded, " Absolutely"

"Donna, just for the record" Louis began, " I know how hard this must be. You're starting over.. or reverting back. I don't know which one it is. We don't know where your life is going to go or who it's going to be with but I know if you would have married Marshall, you would have regretted it"

It was around 3 pm. Donna was sitting at her desk, working on a contract for a client she previously worked for.

"Vanilla Latte" Mike Ross said, sitting the coffee down in front of her.

Donna grinned, pushing her laptop screen down, " You remembered. Get over here and give me a hug"

Mike walked around to hug Donna, who stood up from her chair.

"How could I forget? All the days I was Harvey's bitch and forced to get his coffee for him" Mike laughed, remembering when he was Harvey's associate.

"Well, now you're a big boy" Donna joked, proud of her friend for his promotion to junior partner, "You'll be managing partner before you know it"

"Don't tell Jessica that" Mike responded, taking a sit on the couch, " Your office looks like you never left"

"Yeah" Donna agreed, surprised to see everything in it's place, " I think Louis did this"

Mike shook his head no, " The person behind this has way more hair"

"Harvey?" Donna questioned. Her favorite paintings were hung. Pictures of her family were framed and fresh pink roses were on her desk. There was a new teal colored couch which Mike was sitting on. Teal was her favorite color.

Mike nodded, " He was here on the weekend. Have you seen him yet today?"

"No, I haven't" Donna responded, deciding to change the conversation " You're engaged!"

Both Donna and Mike grinned.

"I am" Mike smiled, there wasn't a happier moment in his life. Rachel saying yes meant everything to him.

"You're growing up, Mikey" Donna smiled, Mike and her had a special bond. Mike and Donna were the only people Harvey trusted, "Tell me everything. All the romantic details.

It was 7 pm. Most partners and secretaries had already left for the day. Donna felt like she needed to work harder now that she was back. She didn't want people to think she came back just because one of her closest friends gave her the position out of pity. Donna's high heels were sitting underneath of the desk as she stood up. She would be here another hour or two and was in desperate need of coffee.

Barefoot, Donna walked out of her office and down the hall to the partner's kitchen. This was her favorite part of working here and being partner. The kitchen was always stocked. Donna grabbed the coffee of her choice and placed it inside the Keurig. She grabbed a mug as she waited for it to brew.

"Nice dress" Harvey complimented, causing Donna to turn around. She thought he had left for the day. Donna tried to not smile but there was something she loved about seeing Harvey in his suit.

"Thanks . It's my-"

Harvey cut her off, "Your favorite. I know"

Donna felt her heart beating. He had the tendency to make her nervous particularly when he said things like that.

Donna smiled, "What are you still doing here?"

"I had to finish typing up notes" Harvey responded, putting his hands in his pockets, " and I didn't get a chance to see you all day"

Donna grabbed the creamer from the refrigerator and poured it in her mug.

" You've been busy" Donna said, pouring sugar in her cup and mixing it, " Harvey, did you decorate my office?"

Harvey nodded, he was hoping she wouldn't know it was him," I just wanted everything to be perfect for your first day"

"Thank you" Donna said, " It really made me feel like I never left"

"How was Boston?" Harvey asked, concerned. He couldn't stop thinking about her the last few days but it wasn't any different. Donna was always on his mind.

"It was okay" Donna answered, taking a sip of her coffee," Closure, I guess. Now, I just need to find an apartment. I stayed at Becca's last night"

"Doesn't she live like an hour away?" Harvey asked, leaning against the counter.

"Yeah, That's why I need this" Donna laughed, referring to her making and drinking coffee.

"Why don't you stay with me until you find a place?" Harvey questioned

"I don't want to cramp your style, Harvey"

"I don't even think that's a phrase people say anymore" Harvey joked, " I'm.. not seeing anyone, Donna. There's no style to cramp. I like having you around"

"I'll think about it" Donna gave a small smile, she wasn't sure if staying with Harvey for a few more nights was a good idea.

The attraction and feelings were still there. She didn't want to do something stupid or make a bad decision. If Harvey made any move not that he would try, she didn't think she could resist it.

"Whenever my dad said that to me when I was younger, that meant yes" Harvey smirked, " I'm going to go back to my notes. Donna, no one thinks you're a shitty person for not marrying Marshall. No one is looking at you and judging. I'm.. We are just happy to have you back"


	13. Author's Note :)

Hey guys-

Thank you so much for patiently waiting for this story to update. I appreciate it. I love that you guys are invested in this as much as I am. I apologize for the delay. There will be a chapter posted this weekend. I'm hoping by tomorrow night- the latest Sunday.

I plan on posting a chapter once a week. I'm thinking Tuesday or Friday nights since I don't have class :)

I'm thinking there are about eight or so chapters left. There's still a lot to tell.

Look out for the new chapter this weekend :)

Love, Hope


	14. Chapter 14

**Shattered**

 **By: Hope**

 **Author's Note:** Hey Everyone! I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to finally post a new chapter. With school and work, it has been tough to find time. I promise I will be back to updating more frequently. I will be posting another chapter tomorrow. I will never go that long again without updating. Thank you so much for being patient with me. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Look forward to Chapter 14 tomorrow!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters in Suits.

 **It was Donnas' second week back at Pearson Specter Litt and she felt things were falling into place. It was almost like she had never left. Work was filling a void in her life and making her feel whole again. Working in Boston didn't make her feel like this. Since it was Marshall's fathers' firm, she often felt like she wasn't respected. Partners thought she was there solely because of her romantic relationship and connections with the family, not because she was a great lawyer. She was overlooked for big cases and felt underappreciated. She had told Marshall a few times but he never took it seriously which caused additional cracks in their own relationship. Donna didn't work her ass off to get into law school to be treated like this.**

 **Donna always felt a valued part of the firm at Pearson Specter Litt. Jessica had seen something in Donna years ago. The partners respected her and the associates wanted to be like her. Overall, Donna was just happier. While at work, she forgot about the fact that she ruined a relationship, broke a nice guys' heart and had no place to call home.**

 **The weekly partners meeting on Monday morning had just ended. Donna grabbed her coffee mug and notepad before Jessica Hardman asked her to stay in the conference room for a few minutes. All the partners had walked out to start their day as she, Jessica, Louis and Harvey stayed behind.**

 **Jessica took a breath before speaking, "There's a small problem, Donna"**

 **Donnas' heart felt heavy, "What's going on?"**

 **"New York is saying they don't have you passing the boards here" Jessica informed her, " You can't technically practice law"**

 **Donna looked confused.**

 **"I think there was just an issue with you being in Boston the last few years" Jessica, explained, " We faxed everything over to prove you can practice law here but it's going to take a few days to fix"**

 **Donna sighed, "Ok, so what do you want me to do until it's handled?"**

 **It could be worse, right?**

 **"Well, you could take the next few days off" Jessica suggested, with a shrug.**

 **Donna nodded her head no," I don't want to take any time off. I want to work. Are there other options? I'll do anything"**

 **"Well, there is one thing.." Jessica said, trailing off, " Gretchen is off this week. She's in Jamaica. We haven't found a temp yet to replace her"**

 **"You want me to be Harvey's secretary?" Donna asked, looking over at Harvey, who looked surprised at Jessica's recommendation. This obviously isn't something Jessica and Harvey had talked about.**

 **"Just for a few days" Jessica responded, " He had a lot on his plate and I thought you were the best person to help him out. I wouldn't label it as his secretary. You're just helping him out"**

 **"I'm not making you coffee, Specter" Donna said, looking at Harvey. She was really considering this.**

 **"I would never ask" Harvey replied. He was shocked that Jessica offered this but with Mike working on his own cases. He had to admit: he could use Donnas' help. He respected her too much to think of her as a secretary or assistant. He was actually excited to spend more time with her.**

 **"Ok" Donna agreed, "Don't enjoy this too much"**

 **Harvey shrugged with a smirk, "I can't guarantee that"**

 _Donna was standing in the kitchen, wearing one of Harvey's old Harvard t-shirts. She was pouring Harvey a cup of coffee as he walked out of the bedroom almost tripping over a pair of Donnas' heels._

 _Harvey groaned," You trying to kill me? Why don't you put these in the closet?"_

 _Donna shrugged, " I don't want to take over your space"'_

 _Harvey walked over to where Donna was and kissed her forehead, "Your toothbrush is here. I think it's okay if you put your shoes in the closet. I won't freak out."_

 _Donna smiled, handing Harvey his coffee. He was wearing his favorite gray Tom Ford suit. Today was a big day. The partners were deciding whether or not Harvey would be senior partner. Although the decision was ultimately Jessica's, she liked to get the input and approval from everyone._

 _Donna took the tie Harvey was holding in his hand. She pulled herself up to sit on Harvey's kitchen counter. She used her legs to pull Harvey in between them as she started to put his tie on for him._

 _"What are you doing next Thursday?" Harvey asked, enjoying this moment with his girlfriend. They had been dating officially for about six months. Harvey felt like his life was at the happiest it could be, personally and professionally, " Jessica wants us to have dinner with her and her new suitor"_

 _"I have to leave work early to meet with my landlord but I'll be available for dinner. I've been wondering when we get to meet Troy." Donna informed Harvey, she knew Jessica was seeing someone and was being sly and discreet about who it was._

 _"What's the meeting for?" Harvey asked, sitting his hands on Donnas' thighs as she continued to tie his tie, " and how do you know his name? I don't even know that"_

 _"Uh, Harvey. I'm Donna. I know everything." Donna answered, making a face at the job she did. She quickly undid the tie to correct her mistake," I have to sign the contract extension for my lease"_

 _"Don't go" Harvey said, quickly, before fully thinking about what he was saying._

 _Donnas' eyebrows furrowed, " I need a place to live, Harvey"_

 _"Move in here" Harvey asked, causing Donna to stop her hand movements to look up, "I'm serious. You're never at your place anyways"_

 _Donna took a deep breath, "I don't want to move too fast, Harvey"_

 _Harvey rolled his eyes, " Donna, I'm not an expert at relationships but, there's not a timeline you follow for this. You make decisions when things feel right. You could have moved in the first month we started dating and it would have felt right. It's us. I'm ready for anything when it comes to you"_

 _Donna grinned," You have a way with words, Specter"_

 _Harvey smirked, kissing Donnas' lips, " I am the best closer in New York"_

 _"Harvey, how many times have I told you that you can't give yourself a nickname?" Donna laughed, finished tying Harvey's tie perfectly._

 _"I'm not the only one uses that nickname" Harvey defended, grabbing and putting on his suit jacket, "Mike calls me that too"_

 _"Mike's a sucker" Donna responded back, as Harvey made his way to open the apartment door, " Good Luck, babe. Not that you actually need it"_

 _Harvey smiled, walking out the door. Quickly, he turned back around._

 _"You need answered my question" Harvey announced, waiting at the entrance of the door as Donna turned her attention back to Harvey, " Move in with me? I can't have a good day until I get your answer"_

 _Donna shook her head, with a smile, "Ok, yeah. I'll move in"_

 **It was Wednesday and the week was going by smoothly. Donna rarely sat at Gretchen's desk. She sat in her office and had Harvey's phone calls forwarded. It was Harvey's decision. He didn't want the other partners or associates to question Donna as a lawyer. Donna really enjoyed working closely with Harvey. It reminded her of the days when they had projects at Harvard together. One of her favorite moments was when Harvey and her spent hours on the weekends studying at the library. Those were the times when Donna really got to know the real Harvey Specter, not the guy everyone else knew. It was almost seven and most partners had left for the night.**

 **Donna walked into Harvey's office as he sat at his desk. He was listening to Miles Davis on his record player. Donna smiled as soon as she heard the jazz music.**

 **"What are you still doing here?" Harvey asked, as he stopped typing on his laptop.**

 **" I wanted to finish this contract before I left for the night" Donna informed him, sitting in the chair across from Harvey. She could tell Harvey was planning on being at the office late tonight. He had already taken off his suit jacket and rolled his shirt up. She knew Harvey almost better than he knew himself. She knew he was stressed out. The firm was at a vulnerable place with all the issues with Hardman leaving the firm. As a name partner, it was all falling on Harvey, Jessica and Louis.**

 **"It could have waited until tomorrow" Harvey smiled, as he rubbed his eyes.**

 **"Your meeting is Friday. I wanted to give you time to review it" Donna answered, crossing her legs.**

 **Harvey was exhausted but he couldn't stop staring at Donnas' lips. She was wearing red lipstick. He wanted to laugh. He remembered telling her that redheads couldn't pull off red lipstick. Donna had to prove him wrong. Harvey knew Donna could pull off anything. He just liked giving her a hard time. Sassy Donna was his favorite Donna.**

 **Donna was wearing a pale pink dress with a gray blazer. She looked good. She always looked good. Harvey tried to push his thoughts to the back of his mind but he couldn't help. He would forever be in love with Donna Paulsen.**

 **" Can I just keep you as my associate? " Harvey joked, with a smirk on his face. This week, Harvey had felt less stressed. Donna was really assisting him so he could focus on the law firm.**

 **"Uh, no" Donna laughed, " But you can tell Mike that I'm better than him"**

 **Harvey laughed, " You just want to flaunt it in his face"**

 **Donna shrugged, " Ofcourse"**

 **For a minute, Harvey and Donna just smiled at each other in silence. Usually, silence could be awkward but it wasn't with them.**

 **Donna felt her stomach do a flip. She tried to focus on why she came in here in the first place, " Oh, hey. Robert Zane called. He wants to meet with you next Monday but in your calendar you are busy from 2-4 every Monday. Gretchen wrote you have karate. Is that something you can move around? Robert said it was important"**

 **Harvey laughed, " I don't actually do karate. Last month, she had ballet. Gretchen just likes to amuse herself. I can't do Monday during that time. I can do before or after"**

 **Donna nodded her head, she was confused. What was Harvey doing during this time? It wasn't really her business but she thought she knew everything about him. Or atleast, that he told her everything.**

 **Donna slowly stood up, " Okay. I will call his secretary in the morning to let him know"**

 **Harvey pushed his laptop down, " Donna. Mondays, I go see a therapist"**

 **Donna sat back down. She was surprised at his confession.**

 **" I started having panic attacks about six months ago" Harvey confessed, " I was stressed and.. I wasn't in a good place. There were some issues here and .. Jessica forced me to go to therapy or I would lose my job. I didn't think that talking to a stranger would do any good. But, this job is all I have. It isn't that bad. It's helping.. actually"**

 **Donna was trying to process everything Harvey was telling her. She knew it wasn't easy for him to confide this information.**

 **"Are you still having panic attacks?" Donna asked, concerned. She felt like a shitty friend. She had no idea what was going on in his life. She felt extremely guilty. She knew they hadn't ended on good terms. In fact, she was pissed and hurt at what he did. She hated to admit it but she would always have a place in her heart for Harvey Specter.**

 **"No, not anymore" Harvey answered, " My therapist thinks it was triggered"**

 **Donnas' eyes furrowed, " What triggered it?"**

 **Harvey looked away from Donnas' stare to think if he wanted to give an honest answer to his question.**

 **He slowly faced back to her before speaking, " She thinks it was receiving your wedding invitation"**

 **Replies Appreciated :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Shattered**

 **Chapter 14**

 **By:** Hope

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I'm so glad you didn't forget about this story considering my slacking with updating. I promise Chapter 15 will be posted tomorrow. I will be writing it after I post this chapter. The next chapter is going to be really good!

 _Donna walked into Harvey's office as he sat at his desk, typing an email. It had been a two days since Harvey was officially a name partner. His dream was finally becoming reality._

 _"What are you doing for lunch?" Harvey asked, as he watched her sit down in the chair across from him, " I was thinking we take an extended lunch and go to the sushi place you like"_

 _Donna smiled, "Harvey, I'm not here to talk about lunch. I have an appointment"_

 _Harvey looked confused. Donna never made appointments. She just strolled in whether he was in a meeting or not._

 _"Red does have an appointment. She made it last week" Gretchen confirmed, as she eavesdropped at her desk._

 _"Donna, why did you need an appointment?" Harvey asked._

 _"I thought I would make this official and professional" Donna responded, " I'm just a junior partner asking for a name partners' advice"_

 _Harvey stopped typing his email, quickly hitting the send button. He closed his laptop to give her his full attention. This must be important if she did all of this._

 _" I want to be a senior partner" Donna spoke, confidently._

 _Harvey smiled, " Okay, I'll bring it up at the next meeting. You know you have my support"_

 _"I appreciate that, Harvey" Donna said, " but it can't be you that brings the idea up. I don't want people to think you're doing it because I'm sleeping with you. I can't be that girl"_

 _"Donna, you aren't" Harvey argued, " You're one of the best lawyers that work here. That's why I'm bringing it up. It has nothing to do with our relationship"_

 _Donna sighed, "I know that but people here won't think that. They're going to think I'm sleeping my way to a promotion. I need another partner to support me. It can't be you, or Louis or even Jessica. I want senior partner because I earned it. I want senior partner because I'm seen as an asset and valuable to this firm not because my friends have power and can push it through"_

 _Harvey nodded, understanding but still not fully agreeing to her thought process, " You want advice on how to get the other partners on board and to bring the idea up?"_

 _Donna nodded._

 _"Okay. Take every opportunity a partner or Jessica offers you. Keep volunteering for difficult cases. Take second chair to assist the other partners and build a relationship with them. Have clients back you. Make the partners realize the reason why we get bonus checks and they have vacation houses in The Hamptons is because Donna Paulsen is the best junior partner we have and deserves senior partner. You haven't been at the firm long but you've already made an impact. You do all of this- you'll be senior partner in the next few months"_

 _Donna stopped taking notes and looked up at her boyfriend, " Thank you"_

 _"You know you could have asked me this any time, Donna. Last night, or this morning. It didn't have to be here" Harvey smirked, thinking it was cute Donna made an appointment._

 _"I wanted this to be legitimate" Donna said, with a smile, " Now, Do I sleep with you or Louis to get a better office?"_

 _Harvey laughed, " I don't think Louis could even handle you but he might be your best bet for that. Grab your purse, Paulsen. We are going to lunch"_

 _"The sushi place?" Donna asked, standing up with a huge grin on her face._

 _"No, my place" Harvey winked, " This conversation got me all hot and bothered"_

 _Donna laughed as she rolled her eyes, " Fine, but you're buying me sushi after"_

 **Jessica was on the phone with a client when Donna aggressively walked into the office. Donna stood with her hand on her hip. Jessica had never seen Donna walk so loudly. She was a woman on a mission. Jesscia wasn't sure what Donna wanted or needed but knew it was important. Jessica politely told the person on the phone that she would call them back later, taking notice of Donnas' pissed off facial expression. Throughout Donna and Jessica's history, they had never fought. They were both honest and told each other how they felt. They had a level of respect for each other that not many women had.**

 **"Donna" Jessica spoke, after hanging up the phone.**

 **"What the hell has been going on here?" Donna asked, pacing back and forth, " Harvey had panic attacks? You were going to fire him?"**

 **Jessica nodded her head, realizing why Donna was in her office, " Sit down"**

 **"No" Donna said, stubbornly, " Why the hell didn't I know about any of this?"**

 **"Sit" Jessica said, sternly, " Down"**

 **Donna felt like she was in trouble with her mom. Reluctantly, Donna took a seat in the chair across from Jessica.**

 **"What's going on, Donna?" Jessica asked, needing more details**

 **"Harvey told me that he's in therapy.. that you forced him to go or you would have had to let him go from the firm" Donna answered, talking fast as she was formulating thoughts**

 **"He didn't tell you why?" Jessica asked, she felt like she was talking to a client.**

 **Donna shook her head no, " He had to leave. There was an emergency with one of his clients"**

 **Jessica took a deep breath. She wasn't sure how Donna and Harvey continued to have a relationship like this. It was complicated and exhausting. She just wanted them to figure their shit out. Be together or don't be together. She wasn't anyone's' therapist or parent.**

 **"He wasn't in a good place, Donna. He beat Louis up. We had to replace the glass in his office. He needed stitches. Everyone was talking about it. Harvey doesn't.. face his shit. It keeps building and building.. until something bad happens. The partners weren't going to allow him to stay. Hell, Louis wasn't going to allow him to stay. I had to talk him out of pressing charges. He was embarrassed. I think it all blew up when Harvey got your wedding invitation"**

 **Donna felt guilty. She shouldn't feel that way but she did. Neither of them were perfect. They both have made mistakes.**

 **"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Donna asked, she felt like a shitty friend.**

 **"You were in Boston. You hadn't talked to Harvey in what? 2 years? Not after how you guys ended" Jessica responded, feeling like it was a dumb question," You were busy planning a wedding."**

 **Donna sat back against the chair. She felt her eyes welling up," Harvey came to my moms' house the night before the wedding"**

 **Jessica's' eyebrows furrowed, " You know about that?"**

 **"You know about that?" Donna asked, in return.**

 **Jessica shrugged, "Is there anything I don't know? You're Donna but.. I'm Jessica. Did you ask Harvey why he was there?"**

 **"No" Donna responded, " I was just waiting for the right time"**

 **Jessica rolled her eyes, " I love you, Donna but .. there is no better time than now. Aren't you curious?"**

 **Donna slightly smiled, " I guess.. I'm just scared of what he's going to say"**

 **Jessica slowly nodded, understanding, " You know what he was going there for. You know why you didn't get married. You've never backed down or shied away from anything before. Why do you with Harvey? You know what the problem is? You two are the same damn person. As soon as one of you gets your shit together, the other gets freaked out. You're never on the same page. You love each other so much and want the best that you'll sacrifice your own happiness for the other. I know this concept is crazy.. but you can both be happy. Together"**

 _"Harvey, can you stay back? I need to talk to you" Jessica asked Harvey, stopping him from walking out of her office as they finished their weekly senior meeting. Louis nodded to Jessica, like he knew what they were going to talk about before he walked out of Jessica Pearson's office and shutting the door behind him._

 _In the next two months, Pearson Specter Litt would be opening a London office._

 _"I wanted to talk to you about the London office" Jessica said, sitting at her chair behind her desk and crossing her legs._

 _"Weren't we supposed to talk about who we want to send to run the office today?" Harvey asked, he thought he saw that on the agenda for today. He had started brainstorming a few of his top choices._

 _Jessica slowly nodded, " Louis and I.. have already talked about it" she said discreetly._

 _Harvey was confused as his eyebrows furrowed, "Ok. Who do you want to send? I was thinking about a few options"_

 _"Harvey, its Donna. We want to offer the role to Donna" Jessica confessed, unsure of how Harvey would feel about their choice._

 _At first, Harvey was taken aback by her response but the more he thought about it, Donna was the best choice. He didn't like that she would be in London for almost the entire year on and off. He could deal with it if it was a great opportunity for her and her career. They could get through it._

 _" I can get on board with that" Harvey agreed, " She's the best choice"_

 _"I thought you would say that" Jessica smiled, sitting the pen in her hand down, " The problem isn't you. It's her. She's going to turn it down"_

 _"She wouldn't. It's a great opportunity" Harvey argued, Donna wouldn't turn it down. Would she?_

 _" The other day at dinner, she was talking about ending her lease this month and you two moving in together" Jessica spoke, " She's not going to jeopardize your relationship after the Baltimore situation. She's going to turn it down for you"_

 _Harvey pushed his lips together and rubbed his forehead. After almost a year together, they had discussed moving in together. It was something they both were excited about. Jessica was right. The more he thought about it, the more he knew Donna wouldn't go to London without a push._

 _"Okay, so she doesn't go" Harvey shrugged, hating the idea that she would turn it down for him._

 _If Jessica offered the opportunity to him, he would go. There was no doubt about it._

 _"Harvey, you know how badly she wants a senior partner position" Jessica informed him, " She jumps at any case to prove herself to the partners. London is her in. Everyone will be on board for her senior partnership if she successfully runs the London office. If she turns this down…" Jessica shook her head, " It's going to be goddamned impossible to convince the partners she's fully invested in her career, this firm and its' future if she says no"_

 _Donna had her purse and coat on as she stepped into Harvey's office._

 _"Hey, I'm leaving. What time are we meeting Jessica tonight?" Donna asked. It was Thursday and they were double dating with Jessica and her new hedge fund boyfriend._

 _"Where are you going?" Harvey asked, confused, as he check his watch. It was only 3 pm._

 _"I have to meet my landlord, remember?" Donna reminded him; she had to officially end her lease._

 _Harvey took a deep breath. He stood up and walked over to shut the door, which confused Donna. He didn't want Gretchen to hear their conversation._

 _"I meant to tell you earlier" Harvey spoke, he hated having to say this, " I think you should extend your lease. I know I asked you to move in but .. with becoming name partner… I just don't know if the timing is right"_

 _Donna felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Moving in wasn't even her idea. The more she thought about it, she was excited. She was ready to take the next step with Harvey. Now, she felt disappointed. She felt confused. She felt her eyes well but she did her best to ensure she didn't cry. At least, not in front of Harvey. Everything would be fine. He had a promotion and there was a lot going on at the firm. She got it. This was just temporary._

 _"Okay" Donna forced a smile, "I'll see you later"_

 _Donna hurriedly opened the door and walked out into the elevator._

 _Harvey put his hand on his forehead._

 _"Fuck" He muttered to himself. He had to, right, to help her?_

 _Reviews Appreciated :)_


	16. Chapter 16

Shattered

Chapter 15

By: Hope

 **Author's Note:** Hi guys! Like I promised, a new chapter :) I was super excited to post this chapter. This is where we find out why Harvey and Donna ended for the second time. Remember, don't hate Harvey :) There's more to it that you'll find out. Also, you guys will probably like Marshall. He's super cute but.. don't get too attached lol. Darvey is the endgame :) I most likely will post a new chapter either tomorrow or Wednesday. I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys thought of this chapter.

Enjoy :)

" **I'm sorry" Jessica apologized, as she took a seat next to Harvey at the bar. Jessica was wearing a tight, white dress with nude pumps. She drank the rest of her red wine and asked the bartender for a refill.**

" **Sorry for what?" Harvey asked, confused, as he played with the rim of the glass of his drink.**

 **Harvey looked around the bar, where everyone that worked at Pearson Specter Litt gathered on a Saturday night. He usually avoided seeing his coworkers on the weekends but it was Mike and Rachel's engagement party. As best man, he was obligated to attend. He had glanced around for Donna when he noticed she was talking to Louis. He didn't even see when she arrived.**

 **Jessica took another drink, " I should have said sorry to you two years ago"**

 **Harvey was pretty sure Jessica was drunk.**

 **He slammed back the rest of his scotch before repeating his question, " For what, Jessica?"**

" **I'm the reason why you and Donna never work" Jessica spoke, asking the bartender to fill up Harvey's glass, " I always get in the way"**

 **Harvey's eyes furrowed. He was still confused. He turned his barstool to face his boss to wait for an explanation. This also gave him a perfect view of Donna.**

" **The first time you guys dated or whatever you call it, I sent her to Baltimore for work" Jessica justified, " The second time, I sent her to London"**

 **Harvey shrugged, still not understanding why Jessica felt responsible, " You were only doing what you thought was right for our careers"**

 **Jessica sighed, " I was wrong, Harvey. I always prioritized being a lawyer and this firm. I thought my career would make me happy and fill any void I had of being in a relationship or being in love. I was wrong. If I was given the choice to be a lawyer or to have another shot at love, I would quit today. It isn't worth it. I go home every night to my amazing penthouse apartment alone. I sit on the couch and drink wine alone. This means nothing without having someone to enjoy it with"**

" **You're drunk" Harvey stated, not sure how to take anything Jessica was saying.**

" **So?" Jessica said, with sass, " It doesn't make anything I'm telling you any less true. I wanted Donna to go to London because she was the best option and the firm would flourish. I didn't think about how it would affect you or your relationship. To be honest, I didn't care. I wanted what was best for the firm. I should have been a better friend.. to you both"**

 **Harvey could tell Jessica was upset with her decisions in their relationship. Yeah, Jessica did have an impact on them breaking up but.. Harvey was sure they would have found another way to ruin it themselves. Harvey watched as Donna laughed at something Louis said. She was wearing a black, lace dress. It was new. He had never seen her in that before. Knowing Donna, she bought it just for this occasion. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and she was wearing black earring that dangled. She looked good but she always looked good.**

" **I appreciate your apology, Jessica" Harvey smiled at his friend, " but I think we would still be where we are even if you weren't just isn't meant to be"**

 **Jessica rolled her eyes, " Bullshit. You don't believe that"**

" **Maybe I do" Harvey shrugged, as he took a long sip of his beverage.**

" **I know you" Jessica said, putting her hand on Harvey's arm, "You don't believe that or you wouldn't have gone to Donnas' moms house the night before her wedding"**

" **I just needed closure" Harvey said, not even looking at Jessica.**

" **Or you wouldn't have bought that wedding ring three months after Donna came back to the firm the first time" Jessica mentioned, with a small smirk on her face.**

" **How do you even know about that?" Harvey looked over, surprised.**

" **I know everything" Jessica winked, " I saw it in your apartment"**

" **When the hell were you in my apartment?" Harvey asked, raising his voice.**

 **Jessica shrugged with mischief, "You have the best scotch collection"**

 **Jessica and Harvey both turned to watch Donna talking with Louis and now Mike. They were all laughing as Mike was talking.**

" **She knows you came over before the wedding" Jessica said, smiling as she watched her friends talking. She was thankful to have them in her life as friends and colleagues.**

" **She hasn't said anything to me" Harvey responded, having a feeling one of her sisters would tell Donna. He was betting it was Abby.**

" **She will" Jessica replied, drinking the red wine as her red lipstick stained the glass, " You better be prepared with what you're going to say and don't lie to her like you did to me. It's been too many years to not be honest. You're getting too old for this"**

 _Things were strained between Donna and Harvey since Harvey told Donna that they couldn't move in together yet. It wasn't even Donna who was pulling herself away. It was Harvey. She wasn't mad that he changed his mind. Yeah, it hurt her but she knew it would happen eventually. She could wait longer._

 _The first two nights, Donna stayed over Harvey's apartment like she usually did. She woke up the next morning alone in his bed. He didn't come home. Both nights, she found out he slept on the couch in his office. She let it go and didn't bring it up. He had a lot on his plate since just becoming name partner. The next few nights, she stayed at her place. She didn't want to be the girlfriend that got pissed over this but she was getting pissed. Jessica, Louis and Harvey were in the process of opening a sister firm in London. Two weeks had gone by and things weren't any better. He was pushing her away and Donna didn't understand why. There had to be more than him just being stressed out. Something was going on. Donna had asked him and he said everything was okay. They were okay. Donna felt in her heart something was wrong but she didn't know what else to do._

 _Donna walked into Harvey's office on Friday and shut the door behind her. Harvey looked up from his laptop to see her walking towards him. She took a seat in the chair across from him but hadn't said anything. She looked like she needed to tell him something._

 _"I just left Jessica's office" Donna, finally spoke, " She offered me the managing partner position in London. Can you believe it?"_

 _Harvey closed his laptop. He knew Jessica was talking to Donna today about the London position. He was excited for her.. but also felt devastated. He was proud of his girl. At the same time, he knew they couldn't last if she went._

 _"What did you say?" Harvey smiled. He missed Donna. He hated being away from her. He saw her face every day at work and he knew she was sad. Things weren't the same between him and it was his fault._

 _"This is the opportunity I've been wanting since I worked three jobs to pay for law school" Donna spoke, remembering how much she had to struggle to obtain her dream, " But, I told her no"_

 _Harvey was shocked, "What? Why?"_

 _" I can't move across the world when things aren't right with us" Donna admitted, as she crossed her legs, " How would we survive the distance?"_

 _Harvey looked down and avoided her eyes._

 _Donna nodded her head, in anger, " We weren't going to survive if I went. Did you know about this? You're name partner you had to know they wanted to offer me this position"_

 _Donna stood up, putting her hand on her hip. She was pissed. She was more than pissed._

 _"I knew" Harvey said, no emotion in his voice. His heart was beating fast but he had no act like it didn't affect him. She needed to take the job._

 _"This is really fucked up!" Donna yelled, as she felt her eyes watering, " You were okay with me going"_

 _"It's a once in a lifetime chance, Donna" Harvey said, trying to come up with anything. He didn't want to have this conversation._

 _The last thing he wanted was for this to end but.. he didn't have a choice. She had to go, right?_

 _"I'm not going, Harvey" Donna said, as tears fell from her eyes, "I'm not giving up on us again. I love you"_

 _Harvey rubbed his forehead and put a hand through his hair. Why was this so hard? Why did this hurt so much?_

 _He stood up. He had to make her go. She would regret it forever if she didn't._

 _"That isn't the only reason why I've been distant, Donna" Harvey confessed._

 _"What do you mean?" Donna asked, confused as she wiped the tears from her face. She hated when people saw her cry. She hated being weak._

 _" A few weeks ago, when I had a late meeting with a client's lawyer" Harvey softly spoke, hating what he was about to say, " It was Scottie"_

 _"She's in New York?" Donna asked, the last time she heard Scottie was in Paris, " and why didn't you just tell me that it was Scottie?" thoughts were processing in Donnas' mind, " Wait, did something happen?"_

 _Harvey looked down, ashamed," There was drinking involved and.. we kissed"_

 _Donna turned around, putting her back towards Harvey, "That's all that happened?"_

 _"We went back to her hotel room but nothing else happened" Harvey answered._

 _"You wanted to have sex with her?" Donna asked, tears were falling faster down her face._

 _It felt like an eternity before Harvey finally answered the question which was giving Donna more anxiety about the answer._

 _It was low when he said, " Yes"_

 _Donna felt her heart break in her chest. She felt like someone ran her over with a car. She never imagined Scottie would come back to her life in this capacity._

 _"I do love you, Donna" Harvey confessed, his voice breaking._

 _Donna turned around and walked closer to Harvey's desk. She picked up the picture frame that had a picture of them in college in it and threw it across the room, causing it to shatter._

 _"Fuck you, Harvey" Donna said, with anger, " You should be proud of yourself. No one has ever hurt me the way that you just did. I'll go to London but not because I want the job. I want to get away from you"_

 _Donna walked aggressively and slammed Harvey's door, causing everyone to look. Mike noticed and walked into Harvey's office._

 _"What the hell happened?" Mike asked concerned, looking over to where the picture frame was laying on the ground. Mike noticed Harvey's eyes were watery. He had never seen Harvey Specter this emotional before._

 _"I got her to take London" Harvey told Mike, his voice cracking, "Fuck"_

 _"Yeah, but at what price, Harvey?" Mike asked, he didn't know what Harvey did but he knew Harvey fucked up._

 _She was wearing an olive pencil skirt, white chiffon button up blouse and nude heels as she walked down the street. The weather was beautiful in London this morning. She opened the door to enter her favorite coffee shop. Without even ordering, one of the baristas smiled at her and sat her go to drink on the counter. Donna had become a regular here. She stopped here on the way to work every morning._

 _Donna grabbed her drink, turning towards the door before someone bumped into causing her coffee to spill on her white shirt._

 _"Shit" Donna said, grabbing napkins to wipe off her hands and shirt. Her shirt wasn't going to be saved with a few napkins. Donna heard the guy she ran into continuously apologize. She wasn't mad. She was clumsy herself. Shit happens._

 _"It's okay" Donna told him, looking up to see who the clumsy man was, "Holy shit. Marshall?" she said, shocked to see Marshall Grant, a fellow law student from Harvard._

 _"Donna Paulsen?" Marshall said, surprised. Donna was the last person he expected to run into," I'll get you another coffee. We can stop at a store. I'd be happy to buy you a new shirt"_

 _Donna smiled, "Don't worry about it. My place is only a block away"_

 _The barista made another coffee for Donna and handed it to Marshall._

 _"Let me walk you" Marshall asked, it had been years since he had seen her._

 _Donna smiled and nodded. They started walking down the street, towards her apartment_

 _"What are you doing in London?" Donna asked him, taking a drink from her cup_

 _"Visiting my brother" He answered, "What about you? I thought you were in New York"_

 _"I..I was" Donna explained, " I've been here for about six months to help get the London branch off and running. I'm leaving next week. My sister is having a baby so I'm going to Boston for a little while. I'm thinking about staying in Boston actually"_

 _"Oh really?" Marshall's ears perked up, "That's where I'm living. I'm working with my dad at the firm. We're looking for a lawyer to join as a partner if you're serious about staying in Boston"_

 _Donna nodded, "I am"_

 _"You look really good" Marshall complimented, " I don't want to impede but are you and Harvey Specter still a thing?"_

 _"No, that's over" Donna responded, with a small smile. Marshall was always a handsome guy but him as a man.. that was a different story. She didn't remember him being so tall. But, she also only ran into him once or twice at school._

 _" Good" Marshall grinned. They stopped at the apartment building Donna lived in, "What are you doing tonight?"_

 _"My usual Friday night: drink red wine and watch Dateline" Donna said, " I know. I'm old"_

 _"Come have drinks with me" Marshall wasn't asking. He was telling her._

 _Donna grabbed a pen from her purse. She grabbed Marshall's hand, writing her phone number, "Okay"_

 _Donna started to open the door to her building but stopped when she heard Marshall speaking, "You know. I never saw you again at that party. I looked for you"_

 _"I know" Donna said, sadly as she leaned again the door, " I saw you play water polo one time"_

 _Marshall wasn't expecting that, " You did?"_

 _Donna nodded, " The speedo is a good look for you" she joked, " I was going to say hi but after the game, you were with a girl. I didn't want to interrupt"_

 _Marshall nodded, " I thought you were with Harvey"_

 _"Bad timing, right?" Donna gave a small smile_

 _"Maybe I was meant to see you in London and spill coffee on your shirt" Marshall_

 _"Maybe" Donna smiled, "I'll see you tonight"_


	17. Chapter 17

**Shattered**

By: Hope

 **Chapter 16**

 **Author's Note:** Hey Guys! Sorry, again, for the delay. I will be uploading Chapter 17 tonight or tomorrow to make it up to you. I'm thinking there's only going to be a few more chapters left but I have to write the chapters out to see how many are left. I'm thinking maybe 5 more but we will see. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Look for 17 tomorrow, most likely, I have to write it tonight. This chapter is all present day.

 **Harvey had spent most of the night mingling with other partners and associates. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing but he could fake it for the night. He felt socially exhausted. Harvey looked down and noticed his drink was empty. Alcohol was the only thing getting him through this night. He started making his over to the bar and saw Donna sitting alone .He had been looking for his chance to talk to her all night.**

 **Harvey slowly sat in the chair next to Donna before speaking, " So, you come here often?"**

 **Donna looked up from her cell phone and laughed. Harvey sent her a wink.**

 **"Is that the best you have, Specter?" Donna asked, sticking her phone in her small black purse.**

 **"It was that or does the carpet match the drapes?" Harvey joked, flashing his signature smirk.**

 **Donna laughed as she rolled her eyes, " I expected better from you"**

 **Harvey shrugged, " I'm not really skilled at pick up lines or women actually"**

 **"Bullshit" Donna exclaimed, after taking a sip of her drink, " You could have any woman in this bar if you wanted to"**

 **"Could I?" Harvey responded back, his smile disappearing.**

 **The bartender interrupted them, asking to refill their drink which they both pushed their glasses over.**

 **"So, how drunk is Jessica?" Donna asked, laughing. Harvey looked over to where Donna was staring. Jessica was forcing Mike and Louis to take shots.**

 **"I wouldn't be surprised if she was dancing on top of the bar Coyote Ugly style in an hour" Harvey answered, remembering their heart to heart conversation only an hour ago.**

 **It was comfortable silence between the two of them as they enjoyed the company, atmosphere and drinks. They could hear the conversation behind them by first year associates who were drunk.**

 **"You guys know Donna Paulsen, the senior partner?" A young and blonde drunk associate asked her friends.**

 **"Yeah, she's the hot ginger " One of the guys responded.**

 **"She left a guy at the altar a few weeks ago. Like Julia Roberts style. Who does that? Oh, and did you guys know she only went to Harvard for a year? She transferred. I heard she was too poor to go the entire three years. Jessica Pearson had to pay for her"**

 **Donna felt her breathing quicken. She swallowed down her entire glass of scotch. Were her feelings really hurt by a young, dumb and drunk first year?**

 **She looked over to see Harvey's face turning red from anger. He rolled up his shirt sleeves like he was about to get into a fist fight as he stood up from his seat.**

 **"Harvey, you don't have to go defend my honor" Donna told him, " Everything she said is true"**

 **Harvey ignored Donna as he made the short walk over to the group.**

 **The associates looked shocked to see their boss, name partner Harvey Specter coming to join their conversation.**

 **"You're…" Harvey started speaking to the blonde girl, pointing his drink towards her.**

 **"Lindsay Shaw" She introduced herself, with a huge grin on her face.**

 **"Right. You know why I don't know your name? Because you're a shitty associate" Harvey said, nonchalantly causing Lindsay's grin to fade, " You're the one that tries to sleep with all the partners. Listen up, first, Donna Paulsen is the best lawyer at this law firm. You'll never even have a ounce of the career she has. She got here because she's determined, ambitious and strong. She would be this successful with or without a Harvard degree. Second , and most importantly, associates treat their partners with respect. We aren't in high school or college. We don't gossip about our collegues. But she isn't your colleague because you aren't even on the same level as her. We also aren't dumb enough to talk shit when the person can hear you. Donna could have mentored and helped you here. In fact, knowing the person that she is, she still would. But you fucked up because you're fired"**

 **"You can't fire me. Do you know who my dad is?"**

 **"I know who your dad is but, I'm Harvey Specter and my name is on that goddamn wall" Harvey said, sipping his drink calmly, " Good luck finding a law firm that will hire you"**

 **Lindsay left the bar hurriedly, feeling humiliated. The rest of the group went silent as Harvey walked back to the bar but noticed Donna wasn't there anymore. He looked around the bar and couldn't locate her anywhere.**

 **It was around 1 am when Ray dropped Harvey off at his apartment. He wanted to leave earlier and look for Donna but he needed to help an incredibly drunk Jessica get home. As Harvey walked into his home, he took off his shoes and socks. He took off his black jacket and threw it on the couch. He made his way to the refrigerator, grabbing a glass and filling it up with ice. He knew he didn't need more alcohol after drinking throughout the night. Harvey shrugged his shoulders, it was the start of the weekend and he was a grown man. He filled up his glass with his favorite liquor. He felt a breeze when he looked up and realized the balcony door was open. Harvey looked around and noticed a pair of black heels in the living room and a purse on the kitchen table. He knew immediately was here. Harvey grabbed the bottle of scotch in his other hand and walked out onto the balcony.**

 **Donna was lounging on one of the chairs, her bare legs resting on the side of the balcony. Her red hair was now down and in waves. She already had a glass in her hand which was empty.**

 **Harvey filled the glass with more alcohol as he took a seat in the chair next to her.**

 **"Look at the moon tonight" Donna finally spoke softly, after a few minutes of silence. It was a perfect night to sit outside. It was breezy but it wasn't cold.**

 **"I was wondering where you were" Harvey responded, ignoring her observation. He wasn't interested in the moon tonight.**

 **"I hope you don't mind that I'm here" Donna finally looked over to face Harvey, " I didn't feel like going to the hotel tonight"**

 **Donna had been staying in a hotel the last few weeks as she searched for a new apartment despite Harvey's offer to stay at his place. She figured it was probably best to not take him up on his offer.**

 **"How did you get in?" Harvey asked, with curiosity. Did every women in his life know how to break into his place? He needed better security.**

 **"I still have the key" Donna admitted, referring to the key he gave her three years ago when they were dating," I shouldn't have kept it but.. I couldn't let it go"**

 **"I'm glad you still have it" Harvey confessed, wondering if not letting it go meant more than just the key," I hate that you're staying at a hotel"**

 **Donna shrugged as the wind tour through her hair, pushing it in her face, " It's actually not bad. When I get home, my bed is made. I get a chocolate under my pillow and they iron my work clothes"**

 **Harvey shook his head as he took another drink, " No luck finding a place?"**

 **"Actually, I'm looking a place I really like next week" Donna mentioned, as she looked back up at the moon, "It's in your building. We might be neighbors"**

 **"Donna" Harvey said, ignoring what she had just said, " Earlier, what those assholes said at the bar.."**

 **"They were right" Donna interrupted, " Everything they said was accurate. I did leave a guy at the altar and I was too poor for pay for Harvard"**

 **"I don't think those things are bad" Harvey said, getting upset, " I meant what I said. You worked your ass off to pay for college. You would be successful whether you graduated from Harvard or a community college. It's just who are you. People wish they could do that"**

 **"What about leaving a guy at the altar? There's no way you can spin that" Donna tried to joke, but her eyes became watery. Maybe scotch and sadness wasn't the best combination.**

 **"You chose to not marry a guy who you didn't want to spend your life with" Harvey justified, "That's an incredibly brave choice"**

 **"Marshall probably doesn't see it as brave" Donna commented, drinking the rest of her scotch.**

 **"He will" Harvey said, " In a few years, he will realize why you did what you did. He will get over it and find someone else to be happy with. You'll be okay, Donna"**

 **"I don't feel okay" Donna said, as she brushed the threatening to fall tears from her face, "If you asked me ten years ago, I would never guess I would be where I am"**

 **"Where did you think you would be?" Harvey asked, sitting his empty drink down on the floor and focusing his attention to Donnas' face.**

 **"Honestly" Donna looked over at Harvey, " I thought I would be with you. It's ironic. When I was in Boston getting my things, I saw Scotttie's wedding invitation on the table. She's marrying some British guy. Did you know that?"**

 **Harvey took a deep breath, " Donna, I need to tell you something"**

 **"Were you invited too?" Donna joked. She knew she was drunk but she didn't realize how intoxicated she was until just now. She would have never in a million years brought up Scottie when she was sober. It was an issue she planned on avoiding with Harvey for as long as she could. As much as she wanted to avoid it, she also wanted to talk about it which probably contradicted herself. She was trying to use jokes to deflect the conversation but Harvey wasn't drunk like she was.**

 **"Donna" Harvey said, seriously. Jessica was right. She was always right. Donna and him were pros at avoiding serious conversations with each other. He was growing tired of this back and forth between them., "I lied about Scottie"**

 **Donna immediately shifted her glance to Harvey's face when she heard what he said, "I know I'm drunk but I don't understand"**

 **"I told you I kissed Scottie. I told you I wanted to sleep with her" Harvey confessed, remembering one of the worst moments of his life, " I lied. We didn't kiss. I didn't sleep with her"**

 **Donna nodded, realizing what he was referring to. She didn't want to think about that day in Harvey's office.**

 **She took a deep breath before finally speaking, " I know"**

 **Reviews Appreciated.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Shattered**

By: Hope

 **Chapter 17**

Author's Note: I promised you another chapter tonight! I just finished writing this a few minutes ago. Thanks so much for all the reviews on the last chapter. I love reading what you think and I love that you love this story like I do. I will update and upload another chapter this week. Probably by Friday. I'll be on a month break after this week of school so I will update more frequently and finish this story. This chapter is all flashbacks.

 _Donna was the Jessica Pearson of the London office. Despite not being a name partner, she was the managing partner. Jessica trusted her enough to allow her to run this office. She visited twice in the last eight months. Everything was running smoothly. Donna really enjoyed her life in London. It had been about two months since Marshall came back into her life. They were dating.. sort of. He was living and working in Boston. They didn't out any labels on their relationship due to the distance but Donna really liked him. He was different than.. well.. Harvey._

 _Bonnie, Donna's young blonde secretary, walked into her office._

 _"_ _Dana Scott called.. again" Bonnie said, with her British accent, " She's persistent"_

 _Donna needed to hire another experienced lawyer at the firm. No one in New York could transfer to this location. Donna asked Louis to use his connections at Harvard to find a lawyer who worked in London who they could hire. The London office had a senior partner position available and Dana Scott wanted it. She had been working for another firm in London for the last year but there wasn't room for her to grow there._

 _Donna had called Jessica to see what she thought about Scottie coming on board. Jessica told her it was her decision. It was her office. Normally, Donnna would have loved to hire Scottie at the firm but.. she was still feeling animosity towards her since the Harvey incident. Well, it wasn't just an incident. It ruined their relationship._

 _"_ _Is she that awful?" Bonnie asked, out of curiosity. She was a little aggressive on the phone but Bonnie figured that was the lawyer in her._

 _"_ _We just have .. history" Donna responded, continuing to type on her laptop._

 _"_ _She slept with your boyfriend?" Bonnie asked._

 _"_ _Sort of" Donna responded, not wanting to go into detail_

 _"_ _Harvey Specter" Bonnie said, again, feeling nosey. Despite the distance, there was talk in the office about Harvey, Donna and their relationship._

 _Donna laughed at Bonnie, " Yes. Harvey Specter"_

 _It was strange, Just hearing Bonnie say his name affected her. She hadn't spoken to him since their argument and demise in his office. The next day, she packed up a suitcase and flew to London impulsively. Louis helped to get her out of her apartment lease and hired a company to ship her things to her. Donna kept expecting him to show up at the London firm, not to see her, but to see the new firm. Both Louis and Jessica has visited and met the employees. Harvey hadn't made an appearance._

 _"_ _I heard he was hot" Bonnie spoke again, not getting the hint that talking about Harvey wasn't a topic Donna wanted to discuss, " Is he hot?"_

 _Donna tried not to roll her eyes, "Harvey Specter is an ass. But yes, Bonnie, he is attractive"_

 _"_ _Hm, an attractive ass. That's usually a dangerous combination" Bonnie admitted. She noticed Donna's brows furrowing, " What should I tell Scottie?"_

 _"_ _Nothing" Donna answered, " Ignore her calls"_

 _Donna didn't want to be catty and knew Scottie could be great for the firm but she just wasn't ready to face it yet._

 _It was Friday night and Donna was sitting at the bar of her favorite restaurant. The worst part of living in London was the fact that she didn't have many friends here._

 _Donna ate the olive from her glass when she saw her phone ringing. She smiled immediately when she saw who was calling._

 _Donna picked up her IPhone, "Hey you"_

 _"_ _What are you doing next week?" Marshall asked, ignoring the greeting and getting to the point._

 _Donna laughed, " Working"_

 _"_ _Take off" Marshall suggested, she could hear him smirking over the phone, " You haven't taken a day off since you got to London"_

 _"_ _I can't just take off" Donna replied, " and what would I be taking off for anyways?"_

 _"_ _I'm taking you on a trip" Marshall told Donna, " Have you ever been to Turks and Caicos? I'm thinking me and you.. on the beach with drinks in our hands"_

 _"_ _That sounds amazing" Donna answered, taking a drink as she held the phone with her other hand, " I don't know if I can just leave for a week at work"_

 _"_ _Donna" Marshall said, more seriously, "You need a break. The firm won't fall apart. You need this and I need to see you. It's almost been a month since I've seen you. I miss you. Also, I need sex" he joked_

 _Donna laughed, " You're funny and you can have sex"_

 _"_ _You're not here" Marshall responded back, they had never discussed what they were or if they could see other people or not._

 _"_ _You're an attractive, tall Harvard educated lawyer. I'm sure there is a woman in Boston who could help you out" Donna replied, she wasn't sure how she wanted him to respond to this. They weren't exclusive and she assumed he was seeing other people. She wasn't okay with it but they weren't technically together. They lived in different countries._

 _Marshall paused before finally speaking, "Is that what you want, Donna? For me to sleep with other girls"_

 _"_ _You can do whatever you want" Donna replied, asking the bartender for another drink. She felt her heart beating faster._

 _"_ _Donna, don't avoid the question" Marshall said, already calling Donna on her shit_

 _Donna took a few breaths, "No, I don't want you to sleep with anyone else but you live in Boston. I'm here. I can't expect you-"_

 _"_ _Donna, go on vacation with me next week" Marshall interrupted_

 _"_ _Ok" Donna agreed, with a smile on her face, " I'll go"_

 _"_ _You can't see it but I'm smiling like a dumbass right now" Marshall told Donna, "I'll email you the itenary. And Donna, don't sleep with other guys, okay?"_

 _Donna smiled, "Okay. Goodbye"_

 _Donna put her attention back to the menu in order to decide what she would be having for dinner._

 _"_ _Hey Donna" She heard a female voice say, next to her, " Why are you avoiding my phone calls?"_

 _Donna looked up to see Scottie standing beside her, wearing a black dress. Shit._

 _"_ _Scottie" Donna muttered, not expecting to see her here. She was hoping she could avoid her in life, "I like your dress"_

 _Socttie smiled before taking a seat next to Donna at the bar, " Why are you avoiding my phone calls?"_

 _Donna swallowed the rest of her drink, " Do you want a drink? I need a drink"_

 _The bartender came over and took Scotties' drink order._

 _"_ _It's because of Harvey, isn't it?" Scottie said, sitting her small clutch on the bar._

 _Donna felt her heart beat faster. It pissed her off just hearing Scottie say his name. Donna thought Scottie and her were friends. It wasn't easy being a women in a male dominated field especially being a successful women. Over the years, Scottie and Donna would meet up when they were in the same city and grab drinks. Donna knew they weren't best friends but she thought the respect was there between them. Apparently, Donna was wrong. There was no respect. Scottie was always jealous of Donna and Harvey. She could never have or be what Donna was to Harvey, Donna thought Scottie was past that._

 _"_ _Ofcourse it is, Scottie" Donna replied, with sass, "Why are you even here?"_

 _"_ _I know one of the lawyers at your firm. He told me you usually came here Fridays nights" Scottie informed her, " I wanted to talk to you face to face"_

 _"_ _Well, you're here" Donna rolled her eyes, " and I'm hungry."_

 _Scottie took a drink of her red wine, staining the class with her lipstick," I should have called you months ago to apologize. I crossed the line"_

 _Donna rolled her eyes, " Just a fucking little"_

 _Scottie was taken aback by Donna's anger. She knew she was probably upset with her but not this upset._

 _"_ _I should have never tried to kiss Harvey" Scottie started speaking again, " I knew you guys were together. I was drunk and.. it's Harvey. That isn't an excuse but.. have you ever had that one guy who you just can't help but still want? Oh, that's probably Harvey for you too"_

 _Scottie realized this was not going the way she wanted._

 _"_ _I'm sorry" Scottie apologized, " I never meant to disrespect you or your relationship. He really loves you, Donna"_

 _Donna was confused. What did Scottie mean? She tried to kiss Harvey?_

 _"_ _Scottie, what exactly happened?" Donna asked, confused and needing clarification._

 _Scottie's eyebrows furrowed. Now she was confused._

 _"_ _I figured Harvey told you" Scottie said, " Harvey wanted to meet at the firm but I convinced him to go out and have drinks to look over the contract for the clients. I hadn't seen him in awhile. I had too many vodka and waters. He offered to walk me to my hotel room since I was too drunk. I tried to kiss him. He pushed me away and told me he was in love with you. He said he wasn't a cheater either which I knew because of his mom. It was all incredibly embarrassing and a hit to my ego"_

 _"_ _You didn't even really kiss?" Donna asked, more confused than ever as she ordered two more drinks._

 _"_ _No. As soon as I got close, he pushed me away" Scottie further explained, drinking the rest of her wine._

 _"_ _Do you want to eat dinner with me?" Donna asked the brunette, " We can talk about the senior partner position"_

 _Scottie smiled, she always had a fondness for Donna," Yes"_

 _When Donna finally got back to her apartment, she herself was drunk. Scottie and Donna talked for hours about the firm, the position and gossiping about their Harvard classmates. It was nice spending time with Scottie. Donna regretted ignoring her phone calls but.._

 _Now that Donna was alone. She couldn't stop thinking about Harvey. She couldn't believe he lied to her. At first, it didn't make sense as to why he would do that. The more she thought about it, the more she realized what Harvey had done for her, what he sacrificed. She was pissed. She was sad. She also was grateful. Donna picked up her cellphone, too drunk to realize what time it was in New York. She looked through her contacts and found his name. She hated that they had to end because of this opportunity. She knew he was upset with how things ended, how he ended them. Louis had told her numerous times how much of a mess he was after she left. He went through this for her._

 _The phone rang and rang.. the more Donna waited on the phone, the more she realized calling Harvey was a terrible decision. She was contemplating hanging out when.._

 _"_ _Hello?" Harvey Specter answered, in a groggy and raspy voice. He was sleeping._

 _Losing her courage, Donna quickly ended the call and tossed her phone on the couch, hoping he wouldn't call back. She forgot he didn't have her London number._

 _Donna sat on the couch as she took off her heels. She missed him. Every day. But, what's done was done, right?_

 _She had Marshall now._

 **Reviews Appreciated :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Shattered

Chapter 18

By: Hope

Author's Note: Hey everyone! So, my semester is finally over and now I have the next month with some extra free time :) Chapter 19 should be posted by Thursday, if not sooner. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think with your reviews!

"You know what?" Harvey asked, he didn't quite understand what Donna meant when she said "I know". He sat up from the chair and moved closer, his ass on the edge.

Donna swallowed the rest of her drink, deciding she was done with alcohol for the rest of the night. She was already feeling like she could throw up in the future.

Donna followed suit and scouted closer to Harvey.

"I know that you lied" Donna confessed, finally feeling free. She was waiting for this topic to come up. It helped that she had liquid courage right now. She usually avoided serious conversations despite being an adult.

"What?" Harvey asked, his brows furrowed. How the hell did she know he lied? And when?

"About six months after I got to London, I ran into Scottie" Donna explained, remembering that night in the restaurant.

" You knew I lied" Harvey said, saying it out loud to himself, " You know I lied but you never reached out? You never talked to me?"

Donna looked down, feeling ashamed, " I guess I didn't know what to say"

Harvey stood up, feeling angry, " Do you know how many times I considered calling you? Do you how many times I wanted to get on a plane? Do you know how many times I thought about your face when I told you that lie? Do you know how devastated I was when your toothbrush was gone in the bathroom?"

"I did call you when I found out, Harvey!" Donna yelled, standing up, " but I hung up"

Harvey out his hand through his hair, " I did that for you"

"I know" Donna said, quietly as she played with her hands. She felt like she was too drunk to have this conversation

"Would you have went to London if I didn't do what I did?" Harvey asked, hoping and praying he made the right decision.

"No" Donna answered, " Harvey.. I wish you didn't have to lie to me. You broke my heart but I know it wasn't easy for you either. I wish we weren't so fucking complicating.. but sometimes I love that we are complicating if that makes any sense. I appreciate what you did. I loved London. I loved the experience I got being managing partner. I loved the opportunity. I just wish.. it could have been different for us"

Harvey nodded his head, " That's where you met Marshall, isn't it? That's why you didn't call me?"

"I didn't know where we could go after that" Donna said, honestly, " How could we repair us after that, Harvey?"

"Donna" Harvey touched Donna's hand, " You're the one person in my life that I keep coming back to"

Donna smiled and interlocked her hand in his, "Is it okay if I sleep here tonight? If not, I can call a-"

"You can stay" Harvey responded, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Donna took her hand away and started to walk back into the apartment, swaying as she walked. She stopped and turned to say something. After a few minutes, she changed her mind and continued her path inside the apartment.

Harvey sat on the comfortable lounge chair in his bedroom. He had on sweatpants and a Yankee's t-shirt. He wasn't sure exactly what time it was . He watched as her chest rose up and down. Her eyes were closed and she looked content as she slept. Her ginger locks were sprawled out on his pillow. He tried to fall asleep on the couch but he couldn't. He tossed and turned so he decided to sit and watch her. It had been incredibly too long since he saw Donna this way. She looked paler than normal. Maybe it was all the alcohol she had drank. Her eyeliner was smeared. He knew she would be embarrassed if she knew what he was doing right now. He couldn't stop staring at her. It made his heart beat faster. The thing he was most focused on was her shirt. She was wearing one of his old Harvard t-shirts from college. It brought back way too many memories. He couldn't stop thinking about everything. Their conversation only a few hours earlier. He specifically couldn't stop thinking about their time at Harvard together. The moment when he knew he fall in love with Donna Paulsen.

 _It had been about a month since Donna started at Harvard. She mostly focused on school rarely going to parties. Except for tonight. Tonight, she went to a party which was very unlike her. There was a reason she came to a party by herself._

 _Harvey walked into the_ _house, which he had been at too_ _frequently the last few years. He was wearing jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers. He was tired. Harvey had been at his apartment, working on a paper for a class. Unlike Donna, he rarely missed a party but recently, his focus was on school. He was only here for one reason. Donna had called him. He could tell she was drunk. He was surprised she was even at the party. She hated parties. Harvey looked around, trying to find his redheaded new friend._

" _Hey, have you seen Donna?" Harvey asked a random guy, as he walked through the house._

" _Who the hell is Donna?" The drunk Harvard student replied, holding his red solo cup in his hand._

" _Hot red head" Harvey replied, in a simply response._

" _Kitchen" He responded, pointing in the direction. He kept talking but Harvey ignored him and continued his path to the kitchen._ _He stopped when he saw it. Donna Paulsen was on top of the table, dancing. The hoodie she was wearing was on the table, flung off when she got hot. She was wearing jeans and a tank top. As she raised her hands, a small part of her belly had poked out. There were a few guys, Harvey recognized from the lacrosse team, staring at her in awe._

 _Harvey made his way over to the table when he heard one of the guys ask if Donna wanted to do another keg stand._

" _I think she's okay" Harvey responded, causing Donna to stop dancing and smile brightly at her friend._

" _You're here!" Donna said, happily._

" _I am" Harvey responded, trying to not laugh at her, "You called"_

 _Harvey put his arms out, as Donna gently jumped off the table as he carried her and sat her on the ground._

" _Take me home" Donna requested, " Is the room spinning or is that just me?"_

" _That's the alcohol" Harvey responded, as he looped his arm through hers leading her outside and into the car. After attempting to ask Donna questions about where her apartment was and if she had her keys, Harvey decided the best option was to take her back to his place._

 _Donna was laying in Harvey's bed. She was moving around like crazy when Harvey looked up from his spot on the floor, with his sleeping bag._

" _What are you doing?" Harvey asked, amused._

" _I can't sleep with jeans on" Donna exclaimed, as she successfully threw the pants on the ground near where Harvey was, "Why are you laying on the floor?"_

" _I wanted to let you sleep in the bed" Harvey replied, "I know it's shocking but I'm being respectful"_

" _I appreciate the respectfulness" Donna said, " Is that even a word? Who cares?" She patted the spot next to her, " We are adults. We can sleep in the same bed"_

 _Harvey looked at Donna, skeptical. The floor was hard and his back was already hurting. He stood up, and got into the bed next to Donna. He laid his head on his pillow and faced the opposite direction of Donna._

" _Is it okay if my butt touches your butt?" He heard Donna ask, as she scouted closer to Harvey._

 _Harvey grinned, " I'm more than okay with our butts touching"_

 _It was silence for a few minutes before Harvey interrupted, asking a question he had been wondering all night, " Donna, why were you at that party? You hate Harvard students"_

 _Donna turned around to face Harvey, as their faces were inches from each other, "I was having a bad day"_

 _Harvey nodded, understanding, " Everything okay?"_

 _Donna shrugged, " Family problems"_

 _Harvey felt Donna, sitting her bare leg on top of his underneath the blanket. He couldn't help but like the feeling. Donna was drunk, he had to keep reminding himself._

" _Thank you for coming, Harvey" Donna thanked, sincerely._

" _You called me" Harvey said, nonchalant like it wasn't a big deal, " So I came"_

" _You didn't have to" Donna replied, "I mean you barely know me"_

" _I know enough" Harvey smiled, looking into Donna's drunk brown eyes._

" _I can't fall in love with you, Harvey" Donna confessed, abruptly._

" _What?" Harvey asked, confused. He wasn't sure why he was asking questions to her when she was drunk. But, drunk people were the most honest people. He needed to know the answer whether she would remember or not._

" _At first, I thought you were going to be a douche. A really hot douche" Donna admitted, " but you're not. You're actually a good guy. I can't fall in love with you"_

" _Why can't you?" Harvey asked, placing his hand on her leg._

" _Because you could wreck me" Donna answered, simply._

 **Reviews Appreciated.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Shattered**

By: Hope

 **Chapter 19**

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! Happy Holidays. Sorry for making you wait so long. I've been really struggling on finishing this chapter. I promise to post the next chapter by Saturday. Thanks for staying with this story and being patient. I really appreciate it.**

 **Enjoy!**

Harvey was in his office, reading over notes from a conference call with a client. It was a long day and he was tired. Harvey was rarely tired. He was always ready for more work.

"You fired Lindsay Shaw?" Louis burst into Harvey's office, his hands in his black suit pockets.

"Do you have an appointment?" Harvey asked, with a half smirk. He was joking but he also wasn't.

"Do you know who her father is?" Louis asked, throwing his hands in the air.

"She was talking shit about Donna" Harvey briefly explained, turning on his Mac Book.

"That bitch had to go then" Louis replied, aggressively. No one messed with Donna, " I don't even remember which one she was"

Louis continued to stand in front of Harvey's desk, in silence. He started wiggling, like he didn't just come in the office to ask about that.

"What's going on, Louis?" Harvey finally asked, hesitantly. He didn't know what this question was going to open up and he wasn't prepared.

"I need a favor" Louis confessed, like he had been holding it in as he sat in the chair across from Harvey

"I'm not going mudding with you" Harvey said, not looking up from his laptop.

"I don't need you to go with me anymore. Donna's back" Louis shrugged.

"Donna goes mudding with you?" Harvey asked, glancing away from his computer to look at his fellow name partner.

"Yeah" Louis shrugged, " We've been going for like five years. I only needed you to go when she was in Boston but then, Mike started going with me"

"Mike goes mudding?" Harvey asked, his eyes wide. He wished he knew this earlier so he could make fun of his best friend.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you that" Louis realized, " Anyways, what are you doing next Thursday?"

Harvey looked confused, " Probably working. What's the favor, Louis?" asking for him to get straight to the point.

"I'm supposed to go to Harvard" Louis explained, " I go every year to teach a workshop to the law students"

"Why the hell haven't I been asked to teach a workshop?" Harvey questioned, feeling a little offended.

"Well, you were 8th" Louis joked, laughing too hard at himself.

"What's the god damned favor, Litt?" Harvey groaned, he wasn't in the mood.

"I need you to go to Boston in my place" Louis asked, in an almost begging tone.

"Why the hell can't you go?" Harvey asked, his eye brows furrowing. Did he really want to go to Boston for the weekend?

"I have a court hearing Friday morning that I can't miss" Louis admitted, " and Sheila will be there"

"Don't you want to see your girlfriend-" Harvey stopped talking, " You guys broke up"

Louis looked like he was about to start crying. Harvey saw the tears building in his eyes.

"Ok, yeah, I'll go to Boston" Harvey agreed, not wanting to be around Louis crying. He enjoyed giving Louis a hard time and making fun of him but they were friends. Harvey would fight to admit that to anyone.

"The hotel is booked. I'll have my secretary book your flight" Louis said, relieved that Harvey agreed, " I'll have Donna email you the presentation we put together. You two may need to get together-"

"Donna's going?" Harvey asked, his eyes bulged.

"Yeah" Louis said, nonchalantly, thinking he knew she was going already

"Why didn't you just start with her going?" Harvey mentioned, most people knowing Donna was soft spot for him and he would have agreed to go.

Louis shrugged, " This way, I got you to admit you're my friend and that you care about me"

"Why do you have that shit eating grin on your face?" Harvey asked, " I never said we were friends or that I care about you"

"Not in those words, maybe" Louis smiled, brightly," but you agreed to help me. I have a meeting to get to, friend. I'll let Donna know you're taking my place"

"Don't tell her" Harvey said, "Let me"

Her nude Michael Kors heels were off and sitting on the ground. He stood in the doorway and watched. Her toes were painted red. She was wearing a merlot colored dress. Her hair was done earlier but from all the work she was doing, she had thrown it up in a ponytail. He grinned as he watched her groaning and looking through papers in legal files room.

Harvey put his hands in his grey suit pockets as he walked closer, " What are you looking for?"

Donna stopped searching, groaned, " This god damned document from like three years ago! I've been in here for two hours"

Harvey tried to not laugh, he knew that would make it worse, " What's the date?"

Donna rolled her eyes, " You're not going to just come in here and find it"

Harvey grabbed the paper from her hand, walking around the other side of the file room. He found the date and pulled the document she had been looking for.

He walked back and handed it to her, a large smirk on his face.

"You're fucking kidding" Donna said, as she laughed, taking the paper from Harvey.

"You were in the wrong year" Harvey informed her, " Last year, we switched the file cabinets around .Are you okay? "

Donna huffed, " I'm just a little stressed. I got the apartment in your building but I have to move in by Friday"

"Friday? Like in two days?" Harvey asked, leaning his arm on the file cabinets.

"Yes, exactly. I thought I would have more time and I don't want to lose this place. I love it. I just don't know how I'm going to move all my stuff by myself"

"You're not" Harvey responded, " I'm going to help you"

"You don't have to, Harvey. I'm not asking you to help me. You've done enough" Donna replied.

"You're not asking me. I'm volunteering" Harvey said, " "I'm sure Louis, Rachel and Mike will help too"

"I don't want-"

"Donna, shut up" Harvey cut her off, " This is what friends do. We're there when you need us. You need us."

Donna nodded, thankful she had such great friends, " Thank you, Harvey"

"I do need a favor in return though" Harvey said, remembering the reason he came searching for Donna in the first place.

"It better not be sexual, Specter" Donna exclaimed, as she put the boxes of paperwork back to where they belong in the filing system.

"Me make something sexual?" Harvey faked offense, " Can you go over the presentation you and Louis are doing at Harvard next week with me? Louis asked me to go in his place"

Donna looked surprised, " You agreed to go for him? I didn't think you would go for it"

"You knew he was going to ask me?" Harvey asked, " Why wouldn't I go for him?"

"Well, you haven't gone back in years. You avoid whenever they call you to try to convince you to host alumni events" Donna explained, putting her heels back on, " Oh, and it's a favor for Louis"

"You don't think I'm a good friend?" Harvey again, feigned offense.

Donna huffed, " I didn't say that. I think it's incredibly nice of you to help Louis. He was dreading seeing Sheila. You know she's kind of a bitch too. It wouldn't have been easy for him to hold it together, I offered to go by myself… Do you want to stay after we're done moving to review the presentation? You can add to whatever you want. Harvey, did you know I was going?"

Harvey shook his head no, " Not until after I agreed to go. Why are you going, Donna? You didn't exactly enjoy your time at Harvard"

" Someone has to try to make the douche Harvard kids less douche" Donna joked," and not all my time at Harvard was awful. I met you, didn't I?"

"Well, that could be a good or bad thing" Harvey joked.

Harvey and Mike were busy carrying Donnas' heavy furniture as Rachel and Donna were unpacking a few boxes.

Rachel found a picture frame, " Donna, how did you and Harvey start? Did you like him immediately?"

Donna looked up, confused at why Rachel was asking. Rachel turned to show her the picture frame holding the photo of her, Harvey and Harvey's dad from graduation.

"When I first met him, I tried to avoid Harvey at all costs. I thought he was the typical rich Harvard student who was overly cocky and a douche but.. he was super attractive. He's stil.." Donna explained, feeling her face get hot from embarrassment, " Harvey is the type of guy that if you don't try to get to know him, you'll judge and write him off which is a huge mistake. He wasn't who I thought he was"

Rachel smiled, " So, you were friends?"

"I can't believe we've never talked about this" Donna mentioned, as she continued removing items from a box, " Yeah, we were friends. He was my only friend, really besides Louis. Harvey was hot so it was difficult not wanting to jump his bones"

"How did it.. become more than friends?" Rachel asked her future maid of honor. Rachel had always avoided asking Donna questions about Harvey. Things had been so complicated and no one around here talked about it much.

Donna threw an empty box to the side, " We had this unique connection. He understood me in a way no one ever did. We were so similar.. which is maybe why it hasn't ended happily. One night, we went to this bar to watch his dad play and.. I was drunk. Alcohol always helps make those implusive decisions. I couldn't keep avoiding how I felt so I just went for it and kissed him"

Rachel opened another box, " Donna, I don't want to pry- is Harvey why you didn't get married?"

"Rachel, we're friends. Pry away. I should have talked to you about this a month ago. I've just been trying to figure it all out myself. Yes, I think he is. I thought being with Marshall or any other guy would make me forget about Harvey.. atleast in a romantic way. I could move on but.. he's always there in the back of my mind. I'm always wondering if maybe the third time is the charm for us."

"Then you have to give it a shot, right?" Rachel asked. Harvey and Donna had a connection that not even her and Mike had, " Ask him on a date"

" He's going with me to Boston next week" Donna informed her friend.

Reviews Appreciated :)


	21. Chapter 21

Hey Guys-

I'm so sorry for the long delay. Adulting :(

I promise Chapter 21 will be posted by Friday night. This story will definitely have an ending. I haven't forgotten!

Love,

Hope


	22. Chapter 22

Hey guys:

I'm so sorry for sucking the last like 6 months. I got stuck with the story and then, life just happened. I promise ( pinky swear) you will have two chapters this weekend ( by Sunday)

Thank you for sticking by me and this story. I appreciate it. This story will get finished.

Love,

Hope


	23. Chapter 23

**Shattered**

By: Hope

 **Chapter 20**

 _Let's try this again.._

 **Author's Note:** Again, thank you so much for standing by me and this story. I appreciate your patience and dedication. I'm sorry for not being consistent in how often I update. I promise the next chapter will be uploaded by Thursday. Chapter 21 is going to be good! I have a new laptop so I struggled with uploading and posting this chapter in regards to the format and font. I thought it was more important to get this posted then to spend time on the formatting.

 **P.S:** Thanks to everyone that messaged or reviewed to let me know about the formatting. I knew it was weird but I just thought the font would be inconsistent. I didn't realize how bad it actually was. I'm sorry!

 _Enjoy!_

 **It was late Thursday night. Donna and Harvey finished reviewing the presentation they would be giving at Harvard over the weekend with Harvey changing a few things to fit who he was as a lawyer. Harvey had to admit it was difficult focusing on the task at hand when Donna was wearing a pair of jeans, that fit too perfectly, and a black and white striped v-neck on. Her hair was up in a top know bun, so he had the best view of her neck and collar bone. Maybe this was a bad idea going to Boston. Or, a really good idea. Harvey was hoping for the ladder. Harvey glanced as Donna took a sip of her white wine. He watched as her throat moved to swallow the liquid.**

" **So, you think this is good? Do we need any more changes?" Donna asked, breaking Harvey from his thoughts.**

" **No, I think this is our presentation" Harvey, after a few minutes, agreed, " Your place is coming together"**

 **Donna smiled, "Thanks to you"**

 **Donna only had a few more things she needed to do and buy for her place to be finished. Harvey and Mike came over to help hang a few pictures on the wall and move the furniture where she wanted it. She was grateful for having the friends that she did. This entire situation sucked but she felt like she was content.**

" **Is this going to be weird?" Donna asked, abruptly, finally asking the question she had been thinking about since finding out Harvey was going in Louis's place.**

" **What?" Harvey asked, his eyebrow furrowed in confusion.**

" **Me and you.. in Boston. At Harvard" Donna further explained. She was fidgeting, moving her foot back and forth.**

 **Harvey smiled as he noticed Donna's freshly painted blue toes.**

" **Why would it be weird?" Harvey asked, wanting Donna to explain more. Was Donna nervous the same way he was? Was something going to happen between them? He wasn't coming on his trip with any expectations or motives. He wasn't going to make any moves. At least, it wasn't his plan to. He needed her to make the moves. He also couldn't deny that he wouldn't be disappointed if nothing happened at all.**

 **Donna shook her head, " Nothing. Never mind"**

" **I know I'm pretty irresistible, Donna" Harvey winked, "I know it will be hard to be in close quarters with me and…"**

" **And what, Specter?" Donna said, with a smirk. She was nervous. She was excited when Louis told her he was going to ask Harvey to come instead. She was mad at herself for being excited also. She doesn't have a reason to be excited. Nothing is going to happen but, in the back of her mind, she wouldn't mind.. if something did happen.**

" **You couldn't resist me at Harvard" Harvey shrugged, "and we're going back"**

 **Donna rolled her eyes, playfully, " I can resist you"**

" **Can you?" Harvey questioned, " You can't resist the irresistable.. and not at the location where everything started"**

" **Go home, Harvey" Donna laughed, but he was right. All the memories were going to be flooding back to her this weekend.**

 **Harvey walked over to Donna, his face coming dangerously close to her face. He placed a gentle kiss to her cheek. He heard as she took a deep breath in her throat as she froze.**

 **Harvey grabbed his jacket, as Donna followed him to the door.**

" **Harvey" Donna called, before he walked out the door, " Who says you can resist me?"**

 **Harvey smiled, " I can't. I'll see you tomorrow"**

 **Harvey had his luggage next to him in his office as he finished typing a few emails before the flight to Boston. Weirdly, Harvey was nervous about going back to Harvard. He hadn't been back to campus since he graduated.**

 **Harvey shut his lap top and when he looked up, he saw Jessica Pearson and Mike Ross standing in front of him, catching him off guard,**

" **What's going on?" Harvey asked, as they both were staring at him, " Why is the door shut?"**

" **You ready for this weekend with Donna?" Jessica asked her friend and fellow name partner.**

" **What? Yeah, our presentation is ready. We will represent the firm proudly" Harvey replied, confused as to why his friend were acting weird.**

" **I don't care about that" Jessica said, nonchalantly, " You and Donna in a hotel for the weekend"**

 **Mike started making porn music noises.**

" **Really?" Harvey asked, his eyes bulged, " It's not a big deal. It doesn't mean anything. I'm just helping Louis out"**

" **You don't even like Louis that much" Jessica responded, with a small smirk.**

" **Why does everyone think I'm a shitty friend?" Harvey asked, standing up and putting his jacket on, " and why do you guys think I agreed to do this with some ulterior motive?"**

" **It's Donna" Both Mike and Harvey said in unison.**

 **Harvey rolled his eyes, " I haven't made any moves yet. If I really wanted to, I would have made a move when she was at my place the night of her wedding when she was vulnerable but, I'm not a shitty person. Donna and I are friends"**

 **Harvey said whatever he could to get them to leave him alone. He wasn't going to tell them about his and Donna's flirtation last night. They didn't need to know.**

 **Jessica rolled her eyes, "Bullshit, Harvey. You guys are going back to the place you met and fell in love. If you want her, this is your chance. Fess up to everything, be honest"**

" **I don't think this is good timing…"**

 **Harvey, again, wasn't planning on making any moves. He didn't feel like that was his place. He knew what he wanted. He's wanted her since college, since the moment she walked into Professor Gerard's class. But, he needed her to make the move and to initiate.**

" **When have you two ever had good timing, Harvey?" Mike responded.**

" **I really think you guys are making this into a bigger deal than it is. It's a business trip. That's it" Harvey justified, grabbing his luggage.**

" **It's never that simple with you and Donna" Jessica spoke, as she crossed her arms," Just don't screw it up, Specter. I'm trying to keep Donna at this law firm for as long as I can"**

 **Jessica walked away, opening the door of the office.**

" **If there's an opportunity to make a move, take it Harvey" Mike advised his best friend and mentor.**

 **Harvey stared at Mike, seeing a glitter in his eyes, "What do you know, Ross?"**

 **Mike shrugged, " When we were helping Donna move last week, Donna and Rachel were unpacking boxes. Rachel found a picture of you and Donna in college. Donna was telling Rachel about how you guys met… Rachel said it's still there"**

 **Harvey and Mike were not standing outside Harvey's office, as Donna walked toward them. Her ginger hair was bouncing as she walked, throwing the boys a smile.**

" **The love is still there" Mike clarified, " Make the move. Don't be a bitch"**

" **Ross, Did you really just call me a bitch?" Harvey smirked, " I think I'm rubbing off on you. I'm proud"**

 _Donna was laying on a blanket on top of the roof of her apartment. They were about to graduate from law school in a week. She couldn't believe it. This had been her dream for so long and she never in a million years thought she would be graduating from Harvard._

 _Donna looked up to see Harvey struggling to climb up the stairs to the roof._

" _Donna, what the hell are you doing up here?" Harvey said, walking over to the redhead, " You know I hate heights"_

 _Donna laughed, " You gotta man up one day, Harvey and face your fears"_

 _Harvey rolled his eyes as he took a seat next to her on the blanket, "This is a nice view"_

" _It is. There's something really calming about the moon" Donna commented, staring into the sky while she tucked an unruly strand of hair behind her ear_

" _Not the view I was talking about" Harvey replied with a smile, as he placed a gentle kiss on Donna's lips._

 _Donna smiled, "I wasn't expecting you tonight, not that I mind"_

 _Harvey shrugged, " I wanted to see you. Also, I wanted to give you your graduation gift"_

 _Donna looked Harvey as he handed her a wrapped box, " I thought we decided not to buy each other anything"_

" _You decided that. Since when do I listen to you?" Harvey smirked, "But if you don't want the gift, I can return it or give it to another willing girl- maybe Scotty will want it"_

 _Donna hit Harvey in his shoulder, "Low blow, Specter. I want the gift"_

 _Harvey handed Donna the small box in anticipation as she begin tearing off the gold, glittery wrapping paper. She slowly opened the red velvet box and opened her mouth in surprise._

" _Harvey, this is too much" Donna said, in shock. In the box were a pair of diamond earrings," These are real diamonds"_

 _Harvey laughed, "well, yeah. I didn't get them from a candy machine"_

" _You didn't have to do this" Donna said, in appreciation, " Where did you and how did you.."_

 _She had some many questions._

 _Harvey shrugged, " Donna, they're yours. Stop asking questions. Put them in"_

 _Donna slowly put the earrings in each ear, " One day, are you going to tell me the story on how you got these?"_

" _Maybe one day" Harvey smiled, as he intertwined his fingers with hers._

 _After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Donna sighed and spoke, "This is weird. When I first got here, I couldn't wait to graduate, get the hell out of Boston and be a lawyer. Now, I feel sad it's almost over. I'm going to actually miss this fucking place"_

" _It's because of me" Harvey joked, " You wouldn't have made it this year without me"_

 _Donna rolled her eyes, " I hate saying this but.. you're right"_

" _Do you wanna say that again? I just want to make sure I heard that right" Harvey smirked, as Donna placed her head against Harvey's chest._

" _Shut up, Harvey" Donna demanded, as she closed her eyes and listened to Harvey's heart and breathing. She needed to tell him that in a week and a half she would be moving to Baltimore, that she wasn't going to New York with him. She needed to tell him she loved the earrings, no matter how he got them but the fact that they were from him meant everything. She needed to tell him she loved him. But, instead, she stayed silent and enjoyed the moment before everything changed._

 **Reviews and comments are appreciated.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Shattered**

 **By:** Hope

 **Chapter 21**

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm so sorry for taking so long to post a new chapter. I've been busy with work and school. Also, I've been kind of stuck with where I wanted to go with this story. I've had a few things written but I couldn't figure out how to put it together. I promise this story will be finished and have a ending. There will be another chapter posted by Sunday also. Thanks so much for sticking around, favoriting, liking and commenting. I really appreciate it :)**

It was Friday night. Harvey and Donna had been in Boston for about three hours. After checking into their swanky hotel, they got dressed and headed to a local restaurant where the Alumni Association threw a dinner before the presentations began in the morning.

Donna had been there for about an hour and she felt like her soul was being sucked from her. There were things about Harvard that she loved like the professors, the learning, the library and meeting Harvey but, and this was a huge but, there were things she hated which mostly included the people that attended Harvard. Yeah, there were a few good people she enjoyed and formed friendships with like Jessica, Scottie and Louis but, most people who attended Harvard were shitty people. She hated having shallow, materialistic conversations. Yes, she making over six figures but she wasn't the type to flaunt that around to everyone. And yes, Donna was an extremely successful lawyer working at a prestigious firm but, she was humble. She hadn't come from money. Donna had to bust her ass to get where she was which is why she couldn't connect with people from Harvard when most where handed opportunities.

Donna was currently stuck talking to another lawyer with whom she graduated with years earlier. She had to admit she didn't remember her but Donna only spoke to a handful of people when she went to school here. She considered asking the women her name but decided it didn't matter. She wasn't planning on talking to her again if she could help it.

The blonde woman kept speaking despite Donna not paying any attention to her, "I just bought a house in the Hamptons. Do you have a house in the Hamptons?"

Donna noticed her wine glass was empty. She looked around the restaurant and noticed Harvey making his way to the bar.

"I don't" Donna replied, harshly, walking away from the women

"Where are you going? I thought we were talking" The women asked, slightly offended.

"If you want me to keep taking to you, I'm going to need another drink. Actually, I'll need to be drunk" Donna spoke, not trying to be rude but also not giving a shit. The woman was the most shallow person Donna had ever met and she couldn't handle much more.

Donna walked, hurriedly, to the bar. Harvey was sitting on the bar stool as the bartender placed a shot in front of him and re-filled his drink.

In one swift move, Donna grabbed the shot, her freshly manicured nails and fingers clasping the shot glass and raising it to her lips, as she downed it. She didn't care what it was. Donna slowly sat in the empty stool next to Harvey.

"Uh, that was mine" Harvey said, his mouth opened in shock that she stole his shot.

"I needed that, Harvey" Donna whined and pleaded, "I just got stuck talking to that blonde chick for thirty minutes"

"Sam Palmer?" Harvey asked, ordering a drink for Donna without asking what she wanted and getting himself another shot, "I hooked up with her my first year of law school"

Donna made a disgusted face, "These are things I wish I would have known about you before I dated you. She's awful. She would not stop talking"

"I know" Harvey laughed, downing his own shot after the bartender slid it to him, "She talked the entire time we had sex. Did she tell you about her house in the Hamptons?"

Donna laughed, mistakenly hitting her bare leg into Harvey's, "Yeah, right before I ran away from her"

Harvey rolled his eyes, trying to not look down at Donna's legs, "It's not even her house. It's her grandparents. And, she's a shitty lawyer. She works at her father's firm. Talk about nepotism"

Donna sipped on her freshly poured beverage before speaking, "I think I'm going to be lame and call it a night"

Harvey groaned, "It's only 9:30, Donna"

"I would rather be in my pajamas, laying in the hotel room watching a movie" Donna shrugged, "I would also rather get a tooth pulled than be here any longer"

Donna played with the red straw in her drink as Harvey watched. Donna looked.. incredible tonight. She was wearing a navy blue lace dress and nude heels. Her red hair was down in waves. Her lips, currently in a pout, were colored red.

"Can you give it another hour?" Harvey asked, gently, "We have to mingle on behalf of the firm"

Donna groaned, like a sixteen-year-old girl, "Fine"

"This reminds me of the first party I convinced you to go to" Harvey reminisced

"I have an idea" Donna said, abruptly with a huge grin, "I'm going to mingle for another hour against my will and for the benefit of the firm. After that, meet me in our spot?"

It was Harvey's turn to groan, "You know I hate heights. Can't we just meet in our other spot?"

"We aren't bringing alcohol into the library" Donna objected, "Man up, Specter. I'm mingling for you. You climb some stairs for me. Plus, haven't you got over that fear yet? I mean you fly all the time"

"That's different, Donna" Harvey argued, drinking his whiskey

"How?" Donna questioned, putting her hand on her hip as she turned to face Harvey.

Harvey was fighting for the right words, "I don't know. It just is"

Donna stood up, with her drink in her hand, "That's why you were 8th, Harvey. Great defense. Meet me in an hour"

Donna placed the widest, fakest grin on her face as she walked over to a group of people.

Harvey glanced at his watch and realized the hour had passed. He needed to go meet Donna. He looked around and didn't see her hair anywhere, she must have already left. Harvey said goodbye to the few people he was having a conversation with. He started heading towards the exit.

"Harvey Specter" Professor Gerard called out, stopping Harvey in his tracks. Harvey grinned and shook Gerard's hand. Gerard's ethics class was the hardest but most rewarding experience in college.

"I'm surprised to see you here" Gerard chucked, taking a drink of his brown liquid, "But, I'm guessing a certain woman being the reason you came back"

"Did I tell you how much I hate heights?" Harvey yelled, as he finished climbing the stairs to go on the top of the roof of Donna's old dorm building. Donna had already thrown a blanket on the ground, he wondered where she got that from, and had two bottles of wine she sneaked away from the restaurant down the street.

Donna's nude heels were off and one leg was resting on top of the other. She looked comfortable.

"Did I tell you how much I love this view?" Donna responded, ignoring Harvey's previous question with a grin on her face.

They used to come up here all the time, against Harvey's fear of heights. They weren't supposed to be here but it was their favorite spot. It was the only time they got any privacy or space from their roommates. It was just her and him and the stars. Tonight, the stars were shining bright. She always loved that she could see the entire campus from here.

Donna poured wine into a red solo cup and handed it to Harvey as he took a seat next to her.

"I haven't been up here in forever" Harvey commented, as he removed his suit jacket, sitting it next to him. He started to roll the sleeves of his gray button down, " Classy cups, Paulsen"

Donna shrugged, "I couldn't steal the bottles and glasses. It would be too obvious"

"Who knew you were a logical thief?" Harvey joked, taking a drink of his wine from the red cup, "Can we play our game?"

Donna smirked, "Twenty questions? The adult, old version"

Harvey laughed, "I'll start with an easier one. How does it feel to be back here at Harvard?"

Donna groaned loudly, "I feel old. I feel really old"

"You're not old. If you're old, then I'm old and I'm sure as hell not old" Harvey quipped.

Donna rolled her eyes, "We're old, Harvey"

"I'm not old" Harvey said, refusing to admit to it, " I'm hot. I'm like the George Clooney of lawyers. It's your turn"

Donna took a drink of her wine before asking her question, "How was the sex Sam Palmer?"

Harvey immediately laughed," You're mad I had sex with her"

Donna shrugged, "I'm not mad. I might be judging you for it though. Answer the damn question"

Donna was feeling all the drinks and the shot from earlier. Maybe this game was a bad idea.

"I was a freshmen. I was drunk at a party. She had a nice ass" Harvey explained, "Sex with you was better" he winked before continuing, "Did you steal my favorite Harvard sweatshirt?"

Donna burst out laughing, "You're never letting this go are you? I didn't steal it. You gave it to me"

"I don't remember that transaction taking place" Harvey remembered, as he looked out at the moon that bright in the sky, " You wore it one night when you got cold and never brought it back"

"That's what girlfriends do" Donna replied, stretching her legs out.

"Technically, you weren't my girlfriend. We didn't establish labels, remember?" Harvey joked, " You're turn"

"The day of my wedding, when I showed up at your place. You were dressed up. Were you planning on coming?" Donna asked, reluctantly. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. She decided to take the game as an opportunity to ask one. It also didn't hurt that she was drunk.

Harvey half smiled, wondering when the more difficult questions would come, "I was planning on attending"

"But.." Donna started saying, playing with the glass in her hand, " You weren't there"

" I wasn't" Harvey stated, taking another sip from his solo cup. He hated wine. He just needed something.

Donna was tempted to ask why he didn't go but she wasn't sure if she should. She wasn't even sure if she was ready for that answer or what she would do with the answer when he gave it to her.

Donna grabbed a hair tie from her clutch and gathered her hair into a ponytail as she waited for Harvey to ask a question. She had a bad feeling this stupid, nostalgic game was going to end badly.

"Do you ever regret not getting married?" Harvey asked, deciding to throw out a more serious question following in Donna's footsteps.

Harvey watched as Donna looked up in the sky and saw her shiver. He sat his suit jacket on her shoulders.

"Honestly, no, I don't" Donna admitted, adjusting the jacket around her, " I miss Marshall, sometimes, and I miss my life in Boston but, I know not getting married was the right choice for me.

Harvey took a breath before speaking, "We should go back. We have a long day tomorrow"

Donna nodded, her head, standing up. She grabbed her heels and held them in her hand. She folded the blanket they had been sitting on. Harvey took it from her hand to hold.

Harvey stopped, " Nice earrings"

Donna smiled and touched her ears, "They're the ones you gave me"

Harvey smiled and nodded, "I know. I didn't think you still had them"

Donna shrugged, " I would never get rid of them. They're my favorite"

Donna and Harvey walked into the hotel room, Donna's heels back into her hand. She was tired of walking in them. They walked into the elevator as the doors opened. Harvey pushed two buttons.

The elevator stopped on the seventh floor, which was where Harvey's room was.

Donna handed him back his suit jacket, " Goodnight, Specter"

Harvey smiled and walked out of the elevator, but he quickly walked back and put his hand on the door to ensure it didn't shut. Donna was surprised to see him walk back in. She didn't expect it.

"They were my moms" Harvey confessed, out of nowhere.

"What?" Donna asked, confused.

"The earrings" Harvey pointed to her ears, " My dad gave those to my mom on their first Christmas together. He worked two jobs and overtime to be able to afford them"

Donna stepped forward, gently placing her hand on Harvey's chest. She wasn't sure what she was doing. Her brain kept telling her to be logical and to end this and go to her room to sleep. But, the alcohol and her heart were guiding her actions and emotions.

Without overthinking, Donna pushed her lips against Harvey's. It was a quick peck. Harvey didn't react so Donna pulled away. Maybe that's all this was meant to be. A quick kiss.

Harvey grabbed Donna's hand before pushing his own lips against hers. He wasn't done. He just didn't have enough time to realize what was happening. He wasn't missing this moment. He had been thinking about it for years.

Before she knew it, Donna's back was against the elevator door where Harvey guided her. The kissing was getting intense as the elevator doors quickly shut.

 _ **Replies Appreciated**_


	25. Chapter 25

**Shattered**

By: Hope

 **Chapter 22**

 **Author's Note:** I hope everyone had a nice holiday. Here is my gift to you.. a new and long chapter. I also will have another chapter up by Monday. I'm out of school for a month and plan on finishing this story for you :)

It was Monday morning and the junior and senior partners were having their weekly meeting to review cases and clients.

"Okay, I think we're going to have a successful week at Pearson Specter Litt" Jessica said to the partners, near the end of the meeting. She was wearing an over the top white dress as she sat at the head of the table, "Did anyone else have anything to add or say before I end the meeting?"

"I wanted to thank Harvey for going to Harvard in my place over the weekend for the Alumni presentations" Louis spoke, sending a thankful smile towards Harvey's way.

"Oh right" Jessica smiled, remembering, " Both Donna and Harvey did a fantastic job in Boston at Harvard representing our firm. Two professors emailed me wanting us to do another presentation at the Career Fair and I've already have a dozens of phone calls about internships and opportunities from newly graduated students"

All the partners were congratulating Donna and Harvey as everyone stood up to leave the conference room.

Donna and Harvey stopped at the door, as they tried to go through but both couldn't fit at the same time.

"Ladies first" Harvey said, allowing Donna to go first. She smiled at him in appreciation.

Louis and Jessica looked at each other, wondering what was going on and if anything happened in Boston.

"Harvey" Jessica called out, stopping him before he walked out the door, "How was Boston?"

Harvey looked confused, "Didn't we just talk about that a minute ago?'

"No" Louis answered, "How was Boston?" he sent Harvey a wink and Jessica raised her eyebrows

Harvey shook his head, "Litt, I swear to God, I will never do you another favor. Boston was fine. Great opportunity for the firm. I'm going to actually do work now since my name is on the wall in this goddamned office"

"Testy" Louis joked, as Harvey walked down the hall to his office, "Something definitely happened"

 _Donna's eyes were still closed but, she was awake. She had gotten the best night of sleep she's had in the past few months. She wasn't sure if it was because of the king sized down bed in the hotel room or if it was all the alcohol from the alumni party last night. She stretched her arms. She quickly stopped. Her heart was racing. When she had stretched, she felt his arm. Shit. She slowly but, abruptly opened her eyes. She looked over to see Harvey sleeping. His leg touching hers. His chest rising and falling. He was shirtless. Shit. Donna was wearing just her underwear. Donna quickly closed her eyes, hoping to avoid facing the situation. Shit. It was Saturday and they had their presentation all day today. It was the reason they were in Boston. Donna's eyes fluttered open again, searching for a clock. She noticed their clothes thrown around the bedroom. She saw Harvey's suitcases. She wasn't even in her hotel room. Donna's heart was racing faster. She tried to breathe to slow it down. She finally located a clock on the wall. It was 5:3o. Shit. The presentation was at 8._

 _She needed to get up, get to her hotel room. She needed to shower and she definitely needed aspirin for her soon to be pounding headache. She knew it was coming._

 _But, she didn't want to get up. If she got up, she would wake Harvey. He wasn't a heavy sleeper. She wasn't ready to face him. Or the awkwardness that she knew was coming and they would be spending all day together doing the same presentation in front of Harvard students for the next 8 hours. She needed to get out of this bed._

 _But, she didn't want to get up. She felt… happy. She was confused and she wasn't ready to think about if this meant anything. But, she had to admit, last night was amazing with Harvey. The rooftop, the kissing, the sex and especially the sleeping._

 _Slowly and quietly, she threw her pale, smooth legs over the side of the bed and pulled herself up. She didn't feel like putting her dress back on. Her room was only down the hall. She found Harvey's button down he wore the night before. She slid it over her arms and started buttoning it. As her fingers touched the buttons, she closed her eyes and remembered last night when she was unbuttoning the shirt while it was still on Harvey. Donna smiled largely when she noticed the last two buttons at the bottom of the shirt were missing. She was impatient and aggressive last night. She wanted him. She couldn't wait for the last two buttons._

 _"_ _What time is it?" Donna heard Harvey ask from the bed, in his sexy and raspy morning voice._

 _Donna took a deep breath in before speaking, "5:30. "_

 _Donna was bending down, looking under the bed for her purse._

 _"_ _I think I like this view" Harvey commented, watching Donna bending down, giving a peak of her red lace underwear, " You stealing my shirt?"_

 _"_ _I'm borrowing it. You'll get it back " Donna responded, finally finding her clutch, "I'll see you at Harvard"_

 _Harvey flopped back down on the bed after he heard the hotel door shut. He put his hand on his forehead, thought._

 _How was today going to be?_

It was around 8 pm. Harvey was exhausted from doing back to back to back presentations all day at Harvard. He wanted to be in the hotel in the king size bed, relaxing.

Instead, he was at a bar. The professors had dinner catered for the alumni. Everyone came here after for drinks.

He remembered how often he came here to this local Irish bar the first few years of Harvard. This is where he met Scottie. He knew her from classes but, this is where they had their first conversation and their first kiss.

He stopped coming to this bar his last year of law school. There were other places he would rather be. Anywhere with Donna.

Harvey was sitting on a stool at the bar, with a glass half full of scotch in front of him. He looked over to where one of the professors was talking to Donna. The professor was new, a younger guy who he didn't know. He felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Donna laugh at something he said. Was this guy even a professor? He looked like he was close to Harvey's age, younger actually. He was probably just a teacher's assistant. Or the Doogie Howser of law professors.

He hadn't really had the chance to talk to Donna at all today besides during the presentations.

He wasn't sure if she was using today to avoid him after last night. They had made eye contact a few times and Donna would flash a smile his way. Every time he wanted to talk to her at the restaurant or the bar, someone would walk up instead. This guy had been hogging her for the past hour.

She was wearing a red dress, nude heels and her hair was down in curls. Harvey felt a pang in his stomach. He downed the rest of his scotch. He loved her. He wanted her. It was something he was going to have to live with forever, whether they were together or not. Donna was just a part of who he was.

Honestly, he really struggled focusing on the presentations. He kept thinking about last night and Donna's bare body lying next to his. It felt like a dream. Did it really happen? And, why did he want it to happen again so badly? He glanced over again at her socializing. He didn't like the way this guy was staring at her. He definitely didn't like when Donna placed her hand on his arm when she was talking. He breathed deep and decided it was time to go back to the hotel.

Donna looked over to the bar where she noticed Harvey was sitting earlier but, she didn't see him.

They hadn't talked much today. Was he avoiding her? She wasn't sure. Was she avoiding him all day? She wasn't so sure of that either. The presentations gave her an excuse to delay the awkward inevitable conversation. But, she missed him today even though he was standing beside her all day.

Donna glanced at her watch. It was 9:15. She was ready to go. She enjoyed mingling and talking with the professors much more than the alumni. It was great networking. One professor even mentioned the idea of teaching to Donna. It was a good thought for a few years down the road.

Donna drank the rest of her red wine and walked over to the bar. She was ready to take these heels off.

"Can I have my tab please?" Donna asked the young bartender, as he came up to her to help.

"Your tab is already paid" The bartender informed her

Donna looked confused before speaking, " Was it the guy who was sitting here in the gray suit?"

"Yes He also left this for you" The bartender handed her a wrapped napkin.

The bartender walked away. Donna opened the napkin Harvey used from the bar. It was Harvey's hotel key card with a note in his handwriting that said:

Use it. If you want.

 _"_ _This is like déjà vu" Harvey said, as he watched Donna looking for her dress on the floor. She wasn't having much success since it was so dark in the room. It was around 2 am._

 _"_ _I'm sorry" Donna apologized, frantically searching for her clothing, " I didn't want to wake you up"_

 _"_ _Where are you going?" Harvey asked, confused, sitting up from his previous laying position. He rubbed his eyes, still half asleep._

 _"_ _To my room" Donna answered like it was an obvious answer, holding her bra in her hand._

 _"_ _Do you remember at Harvard…" Harvey started, " the first time we had sex?"_

 _Donna stopped searching for her clothes and focused on Harvey. It was dark in the room, except for the lights from outside._

 _"_ _It was late and you were grabbing your clothes.. just like now. I asked you where you were going. You said you needed to leave and get back to your room so no one saw you do the walk of shame. Do you remember what I said to you?"_

 _Donna took a deep breath, remembering the moment Harvey was talking about, "You said if I felt any kind of shame about that night and us that yes, I should go. But, that you thought I was leaving because I was scared and it was the easy way out. That you wanted me to stay and if I wanted to stay, I should get my ass back in the bed"_

 _Harvey nodded, surprised she remembered his words "I want you to stay now and to get your ass back in this bed"_

 _Donna wanted to stay too but, her brain was holding her back. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this to mean something even though it was her fault this was happening in the first place._

 _Donna put a hand through her ginger locks as she was thinking deeply._

 _"_ _What?" Harvey asked," What are you thinking about, Paulsen?"_

 _Donna groaned, "How do you even know that I'm thinking about something?"_

 _"_ _I know you" Harvey responded, the moon poking through the window, " You put your hand through your hair and you play with your earring when you're thinking about something?"_

 _Donna stopped playing with her earring, "I want to stay Harvey but,…."_

 _"_ _But what?" Harvey asked._

 _"_ _I'm worried" Donna said, " I don't know what this means and I don't know if I'm ready to figure that out"_

 _Harvey nodded, not sure how he felt about what she said, " Okay. What if… we say, what happens in Boston stays in Boston?"_

 _It wasn't what he wanted but, he wanted her for another day. He had to take what he could get._

 _Donna laughed, climbing back into bed. She pushed Harvey back down as she sat on top of him, "Then we should probably make the most out of Boston, shouldn't we?"_

Harvey was waiting for the elevator to close at Pearson Specter Litt when he heard a women's voice yell.

"Hold the elevator"

Harvey put his hand over the elevator door, allowing for the woman to walk into the elevator.

"Thanks, Harvey" Donna said, in appreciation, as she stepped into the elevator next to Harvey but ensuring there was distance between them. Donna hadn't saw much of Harvey today. They had both been busy with meetings and clients. It was Monday after all.

He was wearing one of his Tom Ford gray suits with brown, shiny dress shoes. Donna knew they were probably expensive. Harvey had always been stylish but, he stepped it up a level when he started working here. The over six figure salary helped. Donna also noticed that Harvey hadn't shaved today. She was surprised. He usually shaved every day but, they did get back late last night from Boston. Maybe he didn't have time.

"How was your day?" Donna asked Harvey, with a small smile.

Before Harvey could answer, an aggressive hand stopped the elevator doors from closing for the second time.

Harvey and Donna looked up, startled, to see Louis Litt out of breath.

"Jesus, guys. Didn't you hear me yelling to hold the door?" Louis asked, stressed and breathing hard, " I could have lost my hand"

"Or, waited for the elevator to come back up" Harvey said, sarcastically, with a shrug.

" I don't have time" Louis responded, " I need to get to accounting. It's urgent"

Donna hit the first floor button for her and Harvey and the 6th floor for, Louis.

Donna was about to ask what was so urgent when she noticed Harvey shaking his head no. He knew she was going to ask and he wasn't in the mood to hear Louis's entire story. He was ready to go home. Donna smirked.

Harvey couldn't help his heart from beating faster when Donna smiled at him. He had missed her today even though he was with her the entire weekend in Boston. As the elevator went down, Harvey used this time to observe her. He could hear Louis talking but he wasn't paying attention or focused on that. Donna was wearing a black pencil skirt, with a slit on the side. She had on an olive see through button down shirt. It was silky and he wanted to reach out and touch it. Her ginger locks were up in a ponytail, which was rare for Donna. She never had her hair up at work when she had meetings with clients. She must have been in a hurry this morning. She was wearing black heels and had a tan trench coat in her hands.

Before he could keep eye stalking Donna, the elevator stopped at the 6th floor.

Louis said his goodbyes before murmuring to himself, " I need to find Adam and kick his ass. You don't mess with Louis Litt's money"

Harvey shook his head and Donna let out a laugh as the elevator doors shut.

Donna looked over at Harvey, against her better judgment. Harvey and Donna locked eyes. Donna wasn't sure who made the move or if it were mutual. All she knew was her jacket and purse were on the ground and Harvey's lips were on top of hers. Her back was against the elevator. Harvey's hands were on her hips.

They both heard the elevator stop at the lobby and the door slowly open. They both stopped and moved away from each other. Donna grabbed her jacket and purse off the ground as she touched her lips.

"Stay with me tonight" Harvey begged, in a quiet tone. He needed her. He needed more of her.

Donna smiled and nodded her head. They walked out of the elevator and out of the building.

They got into the back seat of the car and sat next to each other. Harvey felt Donna place on hand on top of his and he quickly intertwined their fingers and held her hand.

They weren't in Boston anymore.

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